Over three hundred who work in the realm of computer and other electronic privacy matters, in various ways, listened to computer-security expert Bruce Scheier open this week's 13th annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference with a question both obvious and still too relevant: "What are you willing to give up for security?"
The gathering was a mix of legal experts, casually dressed activists, techies, journalists, human rights workers, and others, according to SFGate.com. And Schneier, whose achievements include high-tech security boutique Counterpane, set the tone by observing people aren't willing to make both obvious and extreme privacy tradeoffs for security, even if they understand security is important to them.
"You're better off developing resources for detection and response" than thinking in terms so broad that specific measures won't work and might do you more damage, Schneier told the conference. And in instances like terrorism, he added, there are only too many countermeasures that hike the risk of other crime - crime like identity theft.
"Large databases of personal information increase the risk of identity theft, and checkpoints in airports make it easier for people to steal laptops, because you're separated from your luggage for such long periods of time."
