Schneier on Fearmongering

I have written on here before about how it is frustrating to see so much FUD which goes on around the anti-virus/anti-spam world (in the commercial part of it at least). Just look at nearly any press release for anti-spam/anti-spyware products on a daily basis and you will see claims which would help the makers of said claims were the numbers inflated as much as possible.

Now Bruce Schneier, someone far more interesting and well respected than myself, has posted up something pointing out frustration with the fearmongering surrounding these industries - specifically in this case around the "threat" of bot networks.
Note that the type of fearmongering he is talking about doesn't just mean commercial sales, but it goes into pushing fears of a national threat - which then brings in government types - which makes for very large contracts for anyone involved. So essentially the more important the people you can scare, then the more money you can make off of those who are afraid.

Note that Schneier also recently wrote about spam - specifically spit.

Posted by Eric at May 18, 2005 09:10 AM | TrackBack