Schneier on Security

Security-Related April Fool's Jokes

My favorite so far: “Window Transparency Information Disclosure.”

An information disclosure attack can be launched against buildings that make use of windows made of glass or other transparent materials by observing externally-facing information through the window.

There’s also “Technology retrieves sounds in the wall“:

Every wall in a room is made up of millions and millions of atoms. Each atom is a collection of electrons, protons and neutrons – all electrically charged and constantly moving.

When anyone inside the four walls of a room speaks, the sound carries energy that travels in waves and hits the walls. When this voice energy hits the atoms in a wall the electrons and protons are disturbed.

Each word spoken hits the atoms with a different energy level and disturbs the atoms differently.

Scientists have worked on the software and technology that can measure how each atom has been disturbed and match each unique disturbance with a unique word.

The technology virtually “replays” the sequence of words that have been spoken inside the walls. It’s like rewinding a tape recorder and you can go as far back in history as you want.

If you find any others, please post them in the comments. This is the canonical list of April Fool’s jokes on the web.

EDITED TO ADD (4/1): “Threat Alert” Jesus.

EDITED TO ADD (4/2): And this by Jim Harper.

Tags: hoaxes, humor, threat alerts

Posted on April 1, 2007 at 11:23 AM • 27 Comments