Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-security (601 mails)

[Michael Schmidt <Michael.Schmidt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 22 Aug 2000, Martin Peikert wrote:

> Johannes Geiger <geiger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > doing. Did you ever try to explain cryptography to a secretary? If you would
> 
> Thomas Biege <thomas@xxxxxxx> wrote, quoting the above:
> > only an idiot would do. ;)

...

> I cannot agree to that. If you really have understood how something 
> works, you should be able to explain it to an _interested_ audience.
> Maybe they don't understand it the first time you expain it, but then
> they will ask you questions - and there are, in my opinion, only a few 
> stupid questions but a lot of stupid answers like "Only an idiot would
> not understand what I say." 

In principle I agree, but ...
 
> You can call me idiot, I _did_ explain secretaries some crypto stuff.
> You only have to find the right words - that's the challenge - that 
> they can understand you. 

The real challenge is to find somebody who is interested...
In their opinions its their boss who is responsible for security, and
downtimes created by crashes or intrusions are paid cigarette breaks.

-I know these are prejudices, but sometimes right.

Michael Schmidt

Icewolf