Beyond Fear - The Virginia Tech Massacre
It may seem odd for me to be writing about this topic, and it’s more than just the connection between the name “Tech” and what I do for a living.
The reason I wanted to write this post was that I am a big fan of Bruce Schneier’s work (his world renowned security blog is here) and I recently finished reading his book Beyond Fear
The particular areas that he discusses are our reaction and any change in our behavior because of them:
- Take ourselves or our kids out of college
- Start wearing kevlar
- Carry a gun (legally or otherwise)
and the actions that may or may not be taken by the proper authorities to prevent such happenings in the future:
- Tighten campus security, possibly limiting student freedom of movement, etc.
- Place restrictions on foreigners living in the U.S.
- Further erode freedoms of all citizens with increased gun laws, etc.
Schneier evaluates such reactions and explains what is rational and what isn’t.
For instance, with regard to taking your kids out of college to avoid the risk of being in another incident (copycat or otherwise - 3 colleges on alert today), he examines the actual statistics and probabilities of such an occurrence affecting one individual; thus putting the danger in perspective.
Now most of his analogies have relevance to terrorism, which the Virginia Tech massacre apparently was not. But the thought process is the same. Examine the risk, take reasonable precautions against it, then live life normally within that framework.
From the authorities side, Schneier does a brilliant job of outlining exactly what criteria government should take in determining law or policy changes to prevent future tragedies; clearly describes the errors that government usually makes in these cases; and even gives a rational as to why they sometimes are forced to do things that make no sense and do not increase safety whatsoever.
Since Bruce is a computer security expert by trade, he also covers such topics as internet banking safety and other digital concerns as well. His expertise is clear, however, when he applies the same strategic thought process when evaluating any threat, electronic or otherwise.
Overall it’s an excellent read for anyone concerned with safety and security in a post 9/11 world.
