This one defies belief.
In a city where the murder rate is high, burglaries are soaring and neighbors are forming vigilante street patrols (more on that bit tomorrow!), Oakland Mayor Jean Quan was out there this week promoting a class that teaches people how to pick locks? Come on, Oakland, we can do a bit better than this!
Yes, she has apologized, and yes, the class she promoted is geared towards people who misplace their keys and are locked out. But really, such blundering only inflames the city's public image and is easy fodder for all the Bay Area news outlets and the eWallStreeter.
No, really, officer - I totally lost my keys. I'm a total klutz like that. That's why I always make sure NEVER to misplace my lockpicking set.
Personally, I like the SF Weekly blog's take, and headline: WTF? Mayor Jean Quan Promotes Lock-Picking Classes, Gives Young Burglars a Chance to Suceed
Also take time to read the comments that followed the SF Weekly entry. Priceless.
No one pays $40 to take a class to learn how to burgle houses. On the other hand, learning the art of lock picking is a time honored tradition among people of a technical bent, and it leads to many interesting other endeavors such as learning what makes a space secure, learning how to make better locks and learning a wide range of other technical skills. Lock picking workshops are some of the most popular sessions at hackerspaces and technical conferences like DefCon.
ReplyDeleteI teach people how to break into computers. None of my students has ever gone to jail for breaking into computers. Neither do they break the law in the process of taking my classes or completing the exams for which I prepare them. Quite the opposite. Those students generally go on to become security experts who help organizations secure their data and networks. This is a good thing, especially considering the urgent need of businesses and governments for security professionals with precisely those skills.
The people complaining about the lock picking class have not heard the side of the story coming from the teachers or the students of these classes. The fact of the matter is, learning lock picking -- or computer attacks -- in a safe and ethical space leads to greater security, not less of it.
Lisha, thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteYour point is well taken, of course - but in Oakland, how many of these people are taking the class as an entre to the world of locksmithing (or security consulting)?
I think there is quite a difference between the teaching of network security and understanding how to break into computers as a method of being able to protect against that kind of threat. But is the point of a lock picking class really to teach people how to build/design/buy better locks? Maybe at "DefCon" - which I admit I had to look up, and then had an absolute panic attack knowing that that sort of thing goes on, even if many of the attendees are "white hats" (did I get that right?) - the point of those classes IS to learn how to be better a security.
But coming from the point of view of someone who lives in Oakland, I think teaching people how to pick locks (even if the learning is done in a safe and ethical space) leads to less security, rather than more.
Thanks for commenting though. I def(con?)initely learned something interesting today. And yes, in general, I have to agree with your overall point, it is indeed well-taken, and worth thinking about.