Expert to examine U.S. security systems

Expert to examine U.S. security systems

In the era since Sept. 11, the U.S. has enacted the USA Patriot Act, instituted tighter airport screening, proposed a national ID-card system, begun using a color-coded security threat system, established the Department of Homeland Security and more — all in the name of increased security. But do any of these things really make us less vulnerable to another terrorist attack?

Bruce Schneier

That’s the question noted cryptographer and security expert Bruce Schneier puts forward in the abstract of his upcoming Feb. 8 lecture at Rice University titled “The Future of Privacy: Rethinking Security Trade-Offs.”

The author of eight books and the editor of the newsletter CryptoGram, Schneier has addressed post-Sept. 11 security issues in congressional testimony and in countless news articles and speeches nationwide.

In his lecture at Rice, Schneier will look at the systems the U.S. has put into place since Sept. 11. He will reveal which of them actually work and which ones are “security theater” against “movie-plot threats.” Schneier also plans to discuss the non-security-related motivations for much of the nation’s security policy, and he’ll explain how future technological developments will leave people less safe, not more. He will also explain why the security vs. privacy dichotomy is a false one, arguing instead that the true trade-off is liberty vs. control.

The lecture will be held in McMurtry Auditorium, Anne and Charles Duncan Hall from 4 to 5 p.m. It is part of Rice’s Technology, Society and Public Policy Lecture Series, which is sponsored by Rice’s Computer and Information Technology Institute, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and the Vice Provost and University Librarian.