Leaks

SOMETHING  TO THINK ABOUT

Lonnie, I hear it's possible that Ed Snowden could become your neighbor.   It's hard to tell about the fugitive-leaker, but I heard on the news that he could be on a plane with Bolivian president, Evo Morales, headed to your neighborhood. If Snowden does move in next door, I'd advise you to be careful what you share with him.   We have come far in our ability to collect and store information.  Not that long ago Generals would have their armies march in the fields rather than on roads to keep the rising dust from giving away their position.  Ships could hide in the fog.  People, if they chose to, could just vanish.  Today, when I send this email, when I go through the checkout at a store, when I use my cellphone, and likely other times that I don't know about, I will leave a trail of my behavior.  (Excuse me just a moment.  Hi Bob.  Bob--not his real name, but he'll know--is a friend of mine who works for NSA.  I figure its impolite to ignore him.)  Our desperate hope is that all this data will keep us safe.  Its not my point to argue that one way or the other.  Lonnie's potential new neighbor, though, illustrates for us what won't make us safe. In the end security depends not on more information, but on greater integrity.  There is a lot I don't have figured out, but, Lonnie, if Snowden does move in next door, I'd advise you not to tell him where your spare key is hidden.   Here is a question each of us needs to ask:  "Can my neighbor trust me with that information?"    It's STTA