The Security Mentor

A strong password helps security but it's a pain to remember. Antivirus software protects your computer but may destabilize it. Internet access educates you in protecting yourself but also exposes you to more threats.

Computer security is a profession that's about tradeoffs.

Lately we've been hearing a lot about another kind of tradeoff, in the world of physical security. We're told over and over that there's a tension between civil liberties and safety. Government officials say we may need to give up some privacy to prevent attacks by terrorists who are willing and able to kill thousands at a time.

One example of this tradeoff came in 2004, when the military turned its surveillance on a Quaker meeting house in Lake Worth, Florida. The Quakers were planning to protest military recruitment at high schools. I would have thought that was Constitutionally protected free speech, but the military said it was a "threat", and they're here to protect us.

There's the tradeoff in a nutshell. We may not have our civil liberties about speaking out without fear of the military, but in exchange we are safe from Quakers.