Security vs. Curiosity

Our paranoid world does not reward curiosity. There's a saying commonly promoted: “If you see something, say something.” In practice, the rest of that line can end up as, “…so we can think it's you.” Don't get too curious about how security systems work. Too many questions are unusual and make you a target.

On the flip side, it's nice to be thought of as a responsible one, but don't expect someone to be responsible if you're going to be hostile to their efforts to ensure security if those efforts may exceed yours.

Years ago, I once pondered the nature of security and came to the conclusion: Security leads to violence. That is, if someone is determined to compromise security efforts, then the only thing strong security does is ensure more violence is necessary to overcome those security efforts. It's one thing to steal a key for lock-based access; it's another to steal a finger for fingerprint-based access.

Two other thoughts:

1. The Lord is our protector. “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield” (Psalm 115:11)

2. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19)