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Stupid Security Awards

The Stupid Security Competition is similar to the Darwin awards, but there are fewer dead people and more embarassingly ill-considered security measures. The winners this year include JFK airport, who made a woman drink her own breast milk, and San Francisco General Hospital for placing armed guards at the main entrance to prevent those without photo ID from entering, while leaving all side entrances unattended. San Francisco International Airport also received an award for their shoe-bomb screening method: banging the shoe against a tabletop.

This is perhaps a good time to mention Bruce Schneier, eminent cryptographer and security guru. Most of you haven't heard of him, which is a pity. His specialty may be computer security, but he's very good at applying computer security techniques to real-world situations. In his Cryptogram newsletter, he often takes companies and governments to task for ill-considered security measures, what he calls "snake oil." In the past, he has discussed airport security measures, National ID cards, and the problem with intelligence agencies. He's whipsmart, and though famous in the tiny computer security community, he deserves a great deal more attention from the general public.