Quotes by Bruce Schneier

About Bruce Schneier:

Bruce Schneier is an American cryptographer, computer security and privacy specialist, and writer. He is the author of several books on general security topics, computer security and cryptography.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I am regularly asked what the average Internet user can do to ensure his security. My first answer is usually 'Nothing; you're screwed'.

Bruce Schneier

People don't understand computers. Computers are magical boxes that do things. People believe what computers tell them.

Bruce Schneier

There are two types of encryption: one that will prevent your sister from reading your diary and one that will prevent your government.

Bruce Schneier

Despite fearful rhetoric to the contrary, terrorism is not a transcendent threat. A terrorist attack cannot possibly destroy our country's way of life; it's only our reaction to that attack that can do that kind of damage.

Bruce Schneier

It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.

Bruce Schneier

No one can duplicate the confidence that RSA offers after 20 years of cryptanalytic review.

Bruce Schneier

There's an entire flight simulator hidden in every copy of Microsoft Excel 97.

Bruce Schneier

You can't defend. You can't prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond.

Bruce Schneier

It's frustrating; terrorism is rare and largely ineffectual, yet we regularly magnify the effects of both their successes and failures by terrorizing ourselves.

Bruce Schneier

Terrorism isn't a crime against people or property. It's a crime against our minds, using the death of innocents and destruction of property to make us fearful. Terrorists use the media to magnify their actions and further spread fear. And when we re...

Bruce Schneier

For if we are observed in all matters, we are constantly under threat of correction, judgment, criticism, even plagiarism of our own uniqueness. We become children, fettered under watchful eyes, constantly fearful that — either now or in the uncert...

Bruce Schneier

Even though we don't know which companies the NSA has compromised – or by what means – knowing that they could have compromised any of them is enough to make us mistrustful of all of them. This is going to make it hard for large companies like Go...

Bruce Schneier

The user's going to pick dancing pigs over security every time.

Bruce Schneier

Air travel survived decades of terrorism, including attacks which resulted in the deaths of everyone on the plane. It survived 9/11. It'll survive the next successful attack. The only real worry is that we'll scare ourselves into making air travel so...

Bruce Schneier

When a big company lays you off, they often give you a year's salary to 'go pursue a dream.' If you're stupid, you panic and get another job. If you're smart, you take the money and use the time to figure out what you want to do next.

Bruce Schneier

If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology.

Bruce Schneier

Think of your existing power as the exponent in an equation that determines the value of information. The more power you have, the more additional power you derive from the new data.

Bruce Schneier

When people are scared, they need something done that will make them feel safe, even if it doesn't truly make them safer. Politicians naturally want to do something in response to crisis, even if that something doesn't make any sense. But unfortunate...

Bruce Schneier

Author Bio

  • NameBruce Schneier
  • DescriptionAmerican computer scientist
  • BornJanuary 15, 1963
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionCryptographer; Mathematician
  • AwardsEFF Pioneer Award