Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Societal Trends Trump Security Measures

    Written by

    Larry Loeb
    Published November 9, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      I read the news today, oh boy.

      I usually read the New York Times daily. On paper, which may surprise those of you who think news only comes electronically. Reading on paper helps one to see how each of the individual articles fit with each other, to discover trends from a context that is not obvious from each of the articles taken alone. And today, Im disheartened.

      It is a truism to sociologists that hegemony always carries within it the seeds of its destruction. And sometimes these seeds are blindingly obvious if you just stop looking for trees and just appreciate the forest.

      On the front page of the Nov 8 NYT Business Section, an article about Grokster shutting down is positioned next to an article on shoplifting, which in turn is next to an article on Wall Streets glee over the size of their upcoming bonuses, all of which are above an article delineating how retired people are getting nailed by their ex-companies who are using the pension funds as operating capital.

      All of these articles are linked together by the metatheme of socially approved greed and socially unapproved greed. These articles delineate the specifics of how people and companies get whatever it is that they want. All of them show the ongoing breakdown of a social compact that a society needs in order to function.

      If a company is willing to exploit the very people that contributed in the past to whatever success it now has, how can it justify whatever repressive action it takes when it is, in return, exploited by the consumers it sells to? (Im purposely ignoring the legal arguments to be made here for both actions. This is not about laws; its about causes and effects.) If there were a way to normalize the economic relationships that exist between producer and consumer, the perceived imbalances that exist (when viewed from either partys viewpoint) would not have the same ability to cause the functional disconnects between the two.

      Putting it another way, if you dont care about the record label; you dont care that you are ripping it off. If the RIAA shuts down Grokster, you just move to another network and keep downloading. Downloading of copyrighted material is just one example of the kind of problem seemingly solvable by security techniques, but the effort either blows up in your face (think of the Sony/BMG rootkit mess) or is ultimately ineffective (your DRM gets hacked and stripped.)

      /zimages/3/28571.gifRead the full story on Security IT Hub: Societal Trends Trump Security Measures

      Larry Loeb
      Larry Loeb

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×