---
title: MJR - 6 dumbest ideas
date: 2005-09-12 05:23:00.00 -8
tags: posts 
---
[The Six Dumbest Ideas in Computer Security](http://www.ranum.com/security/computer_security/index.html) is getting a bit of [attention](http://www.technorati.com/search/six+dumbest+ideas) lately. Some groups get it, some [miss the point as expected](http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/11/1716205&tid=172&tid=218).

I dig Marcus' link to his own book:

> My book has not sold very well!!
> Why don't you [buy a copy](http://www.amazon.com:80/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471458791/marcusjranum-20?creative=125581&camp=2321&link_code=as1)?

The best nit picking refutation I've found (and can't seem to find again) focuses on #4: Hacking is cool. If hacking is taken as a means of leveraging power by oppressed peoples, isn't it cool? Abused by corporations or a government through technology? Learn to hack the technology and fight the man! This makes sense to me but again misses MJR's point; the problem is the hype associated with criminal applications of hacking.

A [random comment](http://jokerbone.com/ablasldkfh#comment-2190) from someone no-doubt following a google link to jokerbone that relied on some mod_rewrite trick which I no longer use sums up Hacking-is-Cool very nicely…


> i wanna A program to hack i wanna to be A famous Spy in the world

Note: I traced the commenters IP to somewhere in South America back when that was posted, content is more important here than poor grammar.