The Security Value of Inefficiency

For decades, we have prized efficiency in our economy. We strive for it. We reward it. In normal times, that’s a good thing. Running just at the margins is efficient. A single just-in-time global supply chain is efficient. Consolidation is efficient. And that’s all profitable. Inefficiency, on the other hand, is waste. Extra inventory is inefficient. Overcapacity is inefficient. Using… Continue reading The Security Value of Inefficiency

M00nD3v, HawkEye threat actor, sells malware after COVID-19 diagnosis

Key Points The information-stealing malware dubbed M00nD3v Logger was recently auctioned off on Hack Forums,  together with HakwEye Reborn.   The threat actor – operating under the alias “M00nD3v” – states that they so… Continue reading M00nD3v, HawkEye threat actor, sells malware after COVID-19 diagnosis

Thermal Imaging as Security Theater

Seems like thermal imaging is the security theater technology of today. These features are so tempting that thermal cameras are being installed at an increasing pace. They’re used in airports and other public transportation centers to screen travelers, increasingly used by companies to screen employees and by businesses to screen customers, and even used in health care facilities to screen… Continue reading Thermal Imaging as Security Theater

Criminals and the Normalization of Masks

I was wondering about this: Masks that have made criminals stand apart long before bandanna-wearing robbers knocked over stagecoaches in the Old West and ski-masked bandits held up banks now allow them to blend in like concerned accountants, nurses and store clerks trying to avoid a deadly virus. "Criminals, they’re smart and this is a perfect opportunity for them to… Continue reading Criminals and the Normalization of Masks

Friday Squid Blogging: Cocaine Smuggled in Squid

Makes sense; there’s room inside a squid’s body cavity: Latin American drug lords have sent bumper shipments of cocaine to Europe in recent weeks, including one in a cargo of squid, even though the coronavirus epidemic has stifled legitimate transatlantic trade, senior anti-narcotics officials say. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories… Continue reading Friday Squid Blogging: Cocaine Smuggled in Squid

Me on COVAD-19 Contact Tracing Apps

I was quoted in BuzzFeed: "My problem with contact tracing apps is that they have absolutely no value," Bruce Schneier, a privacy expert and fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, told BuzzFeed News… Continue reading Me on COVAD-19 Contact Tracing Apps