Re: CVS access control

[Jesus Manuel NAVARRO LOPEZ]

Hi, Yap:

address@hidden wrote:
> 
> I starting to think the best security doesn't base or rely on security
> through obscurity.  However, obscurity can strengthen security to an
> extent.  For example, how many of us are able to obtain Air Force One's
> flight path at any given moment?  Security is strengthened when the enemy
> doesn't know the terrain as well as we do.
> 

Well, err..., yes... to some extent, but mainly, err... nope.
Obscurity, by any means strengthen security, since you *never* can get
obscurity for granted (while it's possible to see when ligths comes
on).  Obscurity only works to have a life a bit more comfortable (giving
away most script kiddies, or crazy VietNam veterans) and, potentially,
discover enemies at a glance.
The key for this is you can know if you are discovered ("Hey, you, what
are you doing here?") but you *never* can know for sure you're not
already discovered.  Since you really don't know it, you cannot relay on
it (in the same line of mind of that "if it is not granted, then it is
forbidden" -> If I don't know for sure, then it is untrue).  But, as has
been pointed out, it is even worse than this.  Since much of the time,
you are hidden when you *think* you're hidden, there's always the risk
to be overconfident about your real state.  Under these circumnstances,
when you know you are not hidden no more, the strength of the hit is
worse by too many orders of magnitude.
In other words, it is not because you don't know where it is that Air
Force 1 is secure (you probably don't know, but russian spy-satellities
will do, and those are by far -or used to be, at least, a far bigger
enemy to cope with), but because it fligths at an altitude nothing else
should/can fligth (the japanese security*1) and because the four F-16
within range.

*1: Our social environment is, by definition too insecure: we are too
social, so we must accept too much potential danger from our
environment.  This is, for instance, why there're so much robbery: you
accept a man to be too near, and then it is too late.  In heavily
militarized/normalized societies, being the feudal japanese the
paradigm, social formulae helped to increase security: anyone who
approaches by your left is your enemy and being so, can be immediatly
neutralized with no further questions nor hesitation.  The AF1 fligths
at 45.000 feet, far away from any commercial fligth.  As soon as any
object appears on range, you can be sure it is an enemy you can directly
neutralize.
-- 
SALUD,
Jesús
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address@hidden
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