Schneier on Security

In Beyond Fear, security consultant Bruce Schneier undertakes to teach the reader “to think about security.” That focus is the book’s strength and its limitation.

First, the limitation. The book refers to crimes, accidents and attacks, many of which would be fascinating to know about. But this book is not about any of those prospective events. It has a more practical purpose.

Thinking about security will be particularly valuable for anyone who has to make a decision about that—a business owner, perhaps, or a policymaker. Schneier lays out a set of questions to ask about any system: What is it trying to protect? From what? What good will it do? What problems will it create?…