How Changing Technology Affects Security

+ Brandon Fuller

Bruce Schneier on how changing technology affects security. An interesting example of how human progress is driven by the coevolution of technologies and rules. When our rules fail to keep up with the pace of technological change, the social benefits of advances in technology get diluted.

Security is a tradeoff, a balancing act between attacker and defender. Unfortunately, that balance is never static. Changes in technology affect both sides. Society uses new technologies to decrease what I call the scope of defection — what attackers can get away with — and attackers use new technologies to increase it. What’s interesting is the difference between how the two groups incorporate new technologies.

Changes in security systems can be slow. Society has to implement any new security technology as a group, which implies agreement and coordination and — in some instances — a lengthy bureaucratic procurement process. Meanwhile, an attacker can just use the new technology…Defectors are more agile and adaptable, making them much better at being early adopters of new technology.

Schneier goes on to point out that some technologies do seem to make us unambiguously safer.

There are technologies that immediately benefit the defender and are of no use at all to the attacker — for example, fingerprint technology allowed police to identify suspects after they left the crime scene and didn’t provide any corresponding benefit to criminals. The same thing happened with immobilizing technology for cars, alarm systems for houses, and computer authentication technologies. Some technologies benefit both but still give more advantage to the defenders. The radio allowed street policemen to communicate remotely, which increased our level of safety more than the corresponding downside of criminals communicating remotely endangers us.

Back to top
see comments ()

Related

Press
/ Apr 17,2024

Unveiling the Shadows: Exploring the Reality of

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Among LGBTQ+ Youth in Out-of-Home Care

8.png
Apr 17,2024

Bartosz Bończak to Serve on Advisory Council for

Upcoming CityWorks Exhibition at the New York Hall of Science

more on: development
7_1.jpeg
Apr 17,2024

Kevin Cromar Speaks on Environmental Health

Research as Inaugural Speaker for NIA/NIH Speaker Series

more on: environment
6_2.jpeg
5_1.jpeg
Apr 17,2024

John Maki Addresses the Process of Reform

4_1.jpeg
Apr 17,2024

Mindy Tarlow Contributes to Vital City’s

“The Research That Changed My Thinking”

more on: crime and justice
3_1.jpeg
Apr 17,2024

Meredith Dank Co-Authors Report on

Labor Trafficking in the United States

more on: trafficking
2.png
1.jpg
Apr 17,2024

Mindy Tarlow Joins NYU Marron Leading the

SCALE + Lab

more on: mobility
AdobeStock_543741074.jpeg
8.jpeg
Mar 07,2024

Stephen Abeyta Defends Dissertation on

Workplace Victimization

more on: employment
7.jpeg
Mar 07,2024

Alon Levy on the U.S. Refusing to Learn from

Experts, Other Countries, and Its Own History When Building Transit

more on: public transit
6_1.jpeg
Mar 07,2024

Solly Angel Discusses Densification in

Kissimmee, FL

more on: land use
5.png
4.jpeg
3.jpeg
Mar 07,2024

Human Exploitation and Resilience Program

Publishes Reports on Forced Labor Projects in Tanzania and Costa Rica

more on: forced labor
2_1.jpeg
Mar 07,2024

Health, Environment and Policy Program Helps

Guide Air Quality Management in Ecuador

more on: air quality
1.jpeg
DALL%C2%B7E_2024-04-14_13.23.31_-_Create_a_sophisticated%2C_text-free_background_image_suitable_for_a_global_conversation_event_titled_Artha_Global_Conversation_._The_design_should_feat_.jpg
AdobeStock_543741074.jpeg
AdobeStock_543741074.jpeg
AdobeStock_3702436.jpeg
Jan 31,2024

Events: NYC “Citywide Agency Response to Human

Trafficking”

more on: trafficking
7_1.jpg
Jan 31,2024

Justine Olderman Joins the NYU Marron Institute

6.jpeg
Jan 31,2024

Alain Bertaud Bestowed with Honorary Doctorate

from CEPT University

5.jpeg
Jan 31,2024

Clayton Gillette Offers Lessons for Remote Work

from the Garment District

4.png
Jan 31,2024

Jodie Adams Kirshner Discusses Why Students

Are Skipping College

by Jodie Adams Kirshner
more on: education
3.png
Paper
/ Jan 31,2024

Human Trafficking Risk Factors, Health Impacts

, and Opportunities for Intervention in Uganda: A Qualitative Analysis 

by Meredith Dank
more on: trafficking
3.png
Jan 31,2024

Meredith Dank Publishes on Human Trafficking

in Uganda

by Meredith Dank
more on: trafficking
2.jpeg
Jan 31,2024

The Success of Urban Expansion Planning

in Mekele, Ethiopia Serves as Blueprint for African Cities

more on: urban planning
1_1.png
1_1.png
Jan 31,2024

Civic Analytics Team Authors Article

in Inaugural Nature Cities Issue

by Constantine Kontokosta, Bartosz Bończak
more on: land use, public health
Screen_Shot_2024-01-29_at_7.40.22_PM_.png
Screen_Shot_2024-01-29_at_7.18.16_PM_.png
Mekele.jpg
city_at_night.jpg
Annual_Newsletter_20221.png
Dec 22,2023

The NYU Marron Institute

Annual Director’s Update 2023

AdobeStock_611353166.jpeg
7.jpg
Dec 13,2023

Jodie Adams Kirshner Co-Writes Bankruptcy Chapter

AdobeStock_651764512.jpeg
6.jpg
Dec 09,2023

Lauren Moton Defends Dissertation on

Human Trafficking Intervention Courts and Receives Student Paper Award

more on: trafficking
6.png
4.jpg
Dec 09,2023

Solly Angel Speaks on Urban Controversies

at the 7th International Congress of Architecture

more on: growth, urban planning
3_1.jpg
Dec 09,2023

Angela Hawken Speaks on Using Data for Better

Understanding School Communities

more on: education
2.jpg
AdobeStock_611353166.jpeg
1.png
Dec 09,2023

Civic Analytics

Releases Updated Research for Urban Residents and Managers

more on: environment
Screen_Shot_2023-12-05_at_12.29.25_PM_.png
AdobeStock_643288999.jpeg
AdobeStock_104304458_1.jpeg
transit_1.jpg
city.jpg
misc11.8.jpeg
Nov 08,2023

American Meteorological Society 23rd Conference

on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Science

more on: emissions
city.jpg
gladson.jpeg
Nov 08,2023

Laura Gladson Defends Dissertation

"Advancing Health Equity Using Satellite and Model Air Quality Data"

more on: air quality, environment
familyreunification.jpg
Nov 08,2023

Isabel Coronado Discusses Strategies to Support

Justice-Involved Family Reunification

more on: criminal justice
finematter_1.png
Nov 08,2023

Kevin Cromar Cautions

That Proposed Fine Particulate Matter Standards Are Inadequate

more on: air quality
civicanalytics.png
AfricaHouse.jpg
Nov 08,2023

Urban Expansion Program Hosts Malawian Dignitaries

for Accommodating Urban Growth Workshop at NYU Africa House

more on: land use, urban planning
IMG_2152.jpg
uganda.png
uganda.png
studentresearchers.jpeg