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Bruce Schneier

Bruce Schneier Quotes

Cryptographer

Bruce Schneier is a renowned cryptographer known for his contributions to the field of cybersecurity. Born on January 15, 1963, he has been active at the forefront of cryptography and security research since the 1980s. Schneier's work covers a wide range of topics from encryption technology to cybersecurity strategies.

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Famous Bruce Schneier Quotes

“The fundamental driver in computer security, in all of the computer industry, is economics. That requires a lot of re-education for us security geeks.”

Security Industry Computer Economics Fundamentals Drivers Geek Computer Security

Author:Bruce Schneier

“It's certainly easier to implement bad security and make it illegal for anyone to notice than it is to implement good security.”

Security Easier Illegal

Author:Bruce Schneier

“A colleague once told me that the world was full of bad security systems designed by people who read Applied Cryptography”

People World Security Colleagues Security Systems Cryptography

Book:Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

Source: Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

“The question to ask when you look at security is not whether this makes us safer, but whether it's worth the trade-off.”

Looks Asks Security Trade Trade Offs

Author:Bruce Schneier

“If you ask amateurs to act as front-line security personnel, you shouldn't be surprised when you get amateur security.”

Ifs Asks Lines Security Fronts Personnel

Author:Bruce Schneier

“The more technological a society is, the greater the security gap is.”

Greater Security Gaps Technological

Book:Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive

Source: Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive

“The more we expect technology to protect us from people in the same way it protects us from nature, the more we will sacrifice the very values of our society in futile attempts to achieve this security.”

People Way Values Technology Sacrifice Achieve Security Protect Our Society

Author:Bruce Schneier

“Liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy.”

Liberty Security Privacy Plus Intrusion

Author:Bruce Schneier

“Amateurs hack systems, professionals hack people.”

People Security Computer Hacks

Author:Bruce Schneier

“Computer security can simply be protecting your equipment and files from disgruntled employees, spies, and anything that goes bump in the night, but there is much more. Computer security helps ensure that your computers, networks, and peripherals work as expected all the time, and that your data is safe in the event of hard disk crash or a power failure resulting from an electrical storm. Computer security also makes sure no damage is done to your data and that no one is able to read it unless you want them to.”

“Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a problem. It can exist in more than one place; be transported halfway across the planet in seconds; and be stolen without your knowledge.”

Problem Easy Rooms Security Information Planets Protect Chains Seconds Desks Locks Spares Stolen Halfway Hardware

Author:Bruce Schneier

“People often represent the weakest link in the security chain and are chronically responsible for the failure of security systems.”

People Security Responsible Chains Links Security Systems Weakest Link

Book:Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

Source: Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

“If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology.”

Ifs Thinking Problem Understanding Technology Security Computer Solve Problems And Solutions Lack Of Understanding Cryptography Computer Security

Book:Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

Source: Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

“Microsoft made a big deal about Windows NT getting a C2 security rating. They were much less forthcoming with the fact that this rating only applied if the computer was not attached to a network and had no network card, and had its floppy drive epoxied shut, and was running on a Compaq 386. Solaris's C2 rating was just as silly.”

Ifs Made Facts Bigs Running Deals Security Computer Window Silly Cards Big Deal Microsoft Rating Forthcoming Solaris

Author:Bruce Schneier

“The user's going to pick dancing pigs over security every time.”

Security Picks Dancing Users Pigs

Author:Bruce Schneier

“If someone steals your password, you can change it. But if someone steals your thumbprint, you can't get a new thumb. The failure modes are very different.”

Ifs Different Security Stealing Thumbs Passwords Thumbprints

Author:Bruce Schneier

“The mantra of any good security engineer is: "Security is a not a product, but a process." It's more than designing strong cryptography into a system; it's designing the entire system such that all security measures, including cryptography, work together.”

Together Strong Process Security Design Products Including Working Together Engineers Mantras Cryptography Security Measures

Author:Bruce Schneier

“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.”

Ifs Ideas Whole Remember Easy Security Notion Strings Oxymoron Passwords

Book:Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

Source: Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

“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.”

“Given the credible estimate that we've spent $1 trillion on anti-terrorism security”

Given Social Security Philosophical Terrorism Credible Anti Terrorism

Author:Bruce Schneier

“I am regularly asked what the average Internet user can do to ensure his security. My first answer is usually 'Nothing; you're screwed'.”

Firsts Can Do Answers Security Internet Computer Average Users Euthanasia Internet Users

Author:Bruce Schneier

“Security is a process, not a product.”

Process Security Products

Book:Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

Source: Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked world

About the Author

Born: January 15, 1963
Known for: Cryptographer
Quotes: 78

Related Topics

Security Ifs People Computer Surveillance Terrorism Terrorist Cryptography Internet Needs Government Microsoft Privacy Products Technology Giving Information Liberty Thinking Want

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Books & Sources

Secrets and lies: digital security in a networked worldRelated source material

Applied cryptography: protocols, algorithms, and source code in CRelated source material

Bruce Schneier on Trust SetRelated source material

Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain WorldRelated source material

Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to ThriveRelated source material

Schneier on SecurityRelated source material

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