What if I told you security awareness was a contagion?

from here

So you don't think security awareness training works? Fine, I can concede that the concept of training imposes limitations on what can ultimately be accomplished, but that's specific to training. If you can imagine security awareness spreading from person to person like a contagious 'disease', I'm sure you'll realize it has the potential to reach more people than training could ever hope to.

That ultimately goes to the heart of what Security Memetics is all about. Some aspects of security awareness already spread from person to person by word of mouth or by people serving as examples for others (the classic monkey-see-monkey-do of memetic infection) - so imagine amplifying that effect, making more aspects spread that way, and making them spread more readily. If security awareness can spread like a contagious set of ideas, would you help it spread?

I see what you did there

found on memebase

Urinals are bad enough when it comes to privacy, but the inventor of this has lowered the bar to new depths by angling users towards each other so that they're more easily in each other's field of view.

Maybe this should be called a we-rinal instead of a urinal, since we'd clearly be in it together when using it.

This security measure gives me a bad vibe

from here (source image)

There is no security measure that can improve the security of every situation, and this one will almost certainly make this situation worse.

Jacob Applebaum: To Protect And Infect, Part 2

I may have mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of spreading fear. I don't have nearly as much of a problem with spreading anger when it's warranted, and I think the things this video discuss warrant it. After all, anger is a completely natural response when one's needs (such as safety, security, or privacy) are threatened.

(BTW, if you're wondering about part 1 when this clearly shows the beginning of the talk, I think this must actually be a sequel to a previous talk, rather than a second part)

Stop being so mean to the NSA, you guys

from here (source image one and two - my first face swap - still needs some work on skin tone)

Although it doesn't seem like he actually came out and said those particular words in that particular order, the fact that he still gives that basic message is ridiculous at this stage of the game.

Santa Has a New Job All Year Round

found on memebase

I bet the NSA wishes it could get the kind of visibility into people's lives that Santa has. If only the NSA's privacy invasions were as imaginary as Santa's.

The Perfect Door

from here (source image)

Seemingly 'perfect' security measures are only ever perfect under unrealistic (or even absurd) conditions. Like a door you can never get in because there is no 'in'.

Are ill timed updates a fate worse than death?

found on memebase

You know what's worse than ill timed updates? Ill timed exploits - in which case maybe updates aren't so bad after all.

Would you like to send this to your surveillance overlords?

from here

Yup, they really can look at those and figure out what exploits to use against you.

Wow. Such OpSec. Very Buzzword.

tweeted by the grugq

Earlier in the twitter thread, @thegrugq expressed the opinion that OpSec (operational security) had become something that people twist to mean whatever they want for their conversation. What do you think - is OpSec becoming watered down like so many other security terms? Or has it yet to even register on most people's radar?