History has taught us: never underestimate the amount of money, time, and effort someone will expend to thwart a security system. It's always better to assume the worst. Assume your adversaries are better than they are. Assume science and technology will soon be able to do things they cannot yet. Give yourself a margin for error. Give yourself more security than you need today. When the unexpected happens, you'll be glad you did.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of being prepared for potential threats to security by assuming the worst and planning accordingly.
Bruce Schneier's quote highlights the necessity of vigilance in security, urging individuals and organizations not to underestimate the lengths to which adversaries will go to compromise a system. By advocating for a mindset that anticipates advanced threats and preparing for them with additional measures, he reinforces the idea that proactive security strategies are essential in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
In practice
In a cybersecurity seminar, this quote can illustrate the need for strong defense mechanisms.
The whole notion of passwords is based on an oxymoron. The idea is to have a random string that is easy to remember. Unfortunately, if it's easy to remember, it's something nonrandom like 'Susan.' And if it's random, like 'r7U2*Qnp,' then it's not easy to remember.
This is not the internet the world needs, or the internet its creators envisioned. We need to take it back. And by we, I mean the engineering community.
It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.
You can't defend. You can't prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond.
Digital files cannot be made uncopyable, any more than water can be made not wet.
I am regularly asked what the average Internet user can do to ensure his security. My first answer is usually 'Nothing; you're screwed'.
Technology to wipe out truth is now available. Not everybody can afford it but it's available. When the cost comes down, look out!
I find that writing unit tests actually increases my programming speed
These four policy prescriptions - strengthening educational opportunities, revamping immigration rules for highly skilled workers, increasing federal funding for basic scientific research, and providing incentives for private-sector R&D - should in my view be top priorities as Congress and the Administration consider how to maintain the nation's leadership in science, technology, and innovation.
I'm working on artificial intelligence. Actually, natural language understanding, which is to get computers to understand the meaning of documents.
Not only have computers changed the way we think, they've also discovered what makes humans think - or think we're thinking. At least enough to predict and even influence it.
I think it is inevitable that people program poorly. Training will not substantially help matters. We have to learn to live with it.
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