End of the show?

Some readers will jump on a nearby crate and scream that a discussion of this sort only helps criminals and terrorists, or some such gibberish. However, more progressive thinking on the topic indicates the reason law enforcement always seems to be more than a step or two behind in recent years is that the adversaries -- 0-day hackers, carders, and the modern Mobs from every continent -- are more collaborative than law enforcement and the computer security industry.

The chance that individuals smarter than I but disenchanted with the current social order have not already considered this problem in detail is nil. Denying the possible existence of a superior adversary is the surest path to defeat, and sticking one's head in the sand (and insisting that others do the same) is an ineffective approach to considering the future. And there is a future, because this show's not going to end.

Jon Espenschied has been at play in the security industry for enough years to become enthusiastic, cynical, jaded, content and enthusiastic again. He is currently a senior security consultant in Seattle, where his advice has been ignored by CEOs, auditors and sysadmins alike.