People 'not wired' for modern IT security

2009-08-03

People's minds are not designed to cope with modern IT security, it has been suggested, which could concern those firms looking to avoid an IT intrusion.

Humans "have Stone Age brains" according to Security expert Bruce Schneier, who made his assertion at the Black Hat USA 2009 conference, V3.co.uk has reported.

"We are very good at living in small family groups in the East African highlands, but we do not have a lot of experience in the modern world," he said.

Mr Schneier stated that this has a direct relation with computer security as people tend to use their brains in narrative terms instead of in empirical ways.

He claimed that people are story-telling beings and decent stories gain interest even though they could be factually damaging.

This makes security a difficult goal to attain, Mr Schneier added.

Black Hat USA 2009 took place between July 25th and 30th.

Robert Lentz, chief security officer of the Department of Defense, was in line to deliver the keynote for the event at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

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