Bruce Schneier on airport security
You’ve probably heard of Bruce Schneier if you’ve ever done something with computer cryptography. These days he mostly writes about security and trust in general. I’m a fan of his writing, mostly because of his science-based and calm approach. It’s a refreshing read in a world where the reaction to terrorism and other threats is almost always the introduction of extra security checks and the knee-jerk outlawing of anything that has somehow been involved.
The Economist is currently hosting a debate between Schneier and the form director of the TSA about air travel security. A quote:
Exactly two things have made air travel safer since 9/11: reinforcing the cockpit door, and convincing passengers that they need to fight back. Everything else has been a waste of money. Add screening of checked bags and airport workers and we are done. All the rest is security theatre. If we truly want to be safer, we should return airport security to pre-9/11 levels and spend the savings on intelligence, investigation and emergency response.
I also highly recommend reading his essay about air travel "security theater" and a recent article in Vanity Fair.
