Causing Terror On the Cheap 448
jhigh writes "Bruce Schneier posts on his blog today about the value of terror with respect to cost-benefit for the terrorists. If you look at terror attacks in terms of what they cost the terrorists to implement, compared with what they cost the economy of the nation that was hit, the reward for terrorists is astronomical. Add in the insane costs of the security measures implemented afterward, particularly in America, and it's easy to see why the terrorists do what they do. Even when they're unsuccessful, they cost us billions in security countermeasures."
Who to make money 101 (Score:4, Funny)
1. Get hired as a sales rep at a major security systems vendor
2. Find a flimsy but potential hole in the current security process of a given country (hopefully a reactive country that only fights fires when they're on their doorstep)
3. Start developing a solution for said problem
4. Hire a shady business person loosely associated with a criminal or terrorist group to orchestrate an 'act of terror' using said exploit and offer $10mil for 'security consulting' or the like
5. Start knocking on doors about selling your newly developed product
6. Wait
7. Reap the billions the gov will throw at you to make their latest problem go away
Re:Well, Duh! (Score:3, Funny)
But that was a *bona-fide* act of terrorism thanks to the limp wristed liberal government! Surely we need more protectors to save us from exploding undies. To say otherwise would be unpatriotic!
I learned of all this by watching Fox news; didn't you?
No diferrent than using non-free software (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Wrong end of the Cold War (Score:3, Funny)
One of the examples that's now used when teaching this stuff is a brief engagement from the last Golf War
Insert $TIGER_WOODS_JOKE here.
Re:Simple solution (Score:4, Funny)
Simple, yes. Politically tricky? Obviously.
I think there are legitimate reasons why security is so important now, but really, the shotgun approach just doesn't scale well. Add in the bureaucractic overhead and we're looking at massive investments for little return.
Hell, if you're gonna go so spend crazy, at least get the shit sponsored with ads or something. If you grope me at the airport, at least tell me it has been brought to me by Trojan condoms, and pass out a free sample.
Re:follow the money (Score:4, Funny)
Clearly, it's George Soros! My bedroom is full of puppets and chalk boards that show evidence of this. Unfortunately, the world is full of idiots who can't see the logic behind it all.
Re:Simple solution (Score:3, Funny)
Re:follow the money (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Wrong end of the Cold War (Score:4, Funny)
...a brief engagement from the last Golf War...
ahhh... I remember when it use to be a peaceful sport.
Re:Simple solution (Score:3, Funny)
you will be put to death ... You will not be martyred.
Unless you're planning on using a Schroedinger Box as the execution method, there's a slight contradiction between those two statements.