Sunday, May 31, 2009

Security outsourcing: pigs or chickens?


Luck has it that I found a picture on a lolcat-related site that illustrates some points better than any presentation I could give.

When asking somebody to manage your security, think about bacon and eggs, and ask yourself: Is this person a pig (committed) or chicken (involved)?

So, when you have the lowest bidder managing your critical systems, don't be surprised to get exactly what you asked for.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

OMG! We are are all gone DIE!


Let's take a breather from the "swine flu" craziness, and think things through for a minute.
First off:

Yes, you are going to die.

Life has a 100% mortality rate. This has been proven billions of time before you were born. Anybody who believes they are immortal needs serious counseling.

Now that we got that unpleasantness out of the way, let me give you some basics of "threat level analysis" : In a nutshell, you figure out out what is most likely to hurt you based on a self-assessment and what has happened to others in the past, which gives you a list of what exactly you should be worried about, and how much.

Let's look at the facts that we have available:

This particular "swine flu" "epidemic" has killed less than a dozen people total. Source: CDC

Other mortality stats of other causes (Source: NSC):

Type of Accident or Manner of Injury Deaths One Year Odds Lifetime Odds


Assault, X85-Y09, Y87.1, *U01
18,124
16,360
210


Assault by firearm, X93-X95
12,352
24,005
309


Assault by sharp object, X99
2,097
141,396
1,817


Other and unspecified means and sequelae, X85-X92, X96-X98, Y00-Y09, Y87.1,*U01

Event of undetermined intent, Y10-Y34, Y87.2, Y89.9
4,742
62,528
804


Poisoning, Y10-Y19
3,240
91,515
1,176


Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation, Y20
139
2,133,144
27,418


Drowning and submersion, Y21
242
1,225,236
15,749


Firearm discharge, Y22-Y24
221
1,341,661
17,245


Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames, Y26
120
2,470,892
31,760


Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place, Y30
69
4,297,204
55,234


Other and unspecified means and sequelae, Y25, Y27-Y29, Y31-Y34,Y87.2, Y89.9
711
417,028
5,360



Ignition or melting of nightwear, X05
6
49,417,844
635,191



Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel, X06
97
3,056,774
39,290


There you have it.

You are more likely to killed by your own pajamas or an asteroid than by this flu.

You don't need a mask, you need fireproof pajamas and a safety helmet.


P.S.:Get one for the kids as well