Unix best practices: Remember, what you’re protecting is not systems but productivity

It’s possible to overdo security and end up damaging productivity. Many years ago, when helping to organize a security conference, I noted that the idea that a system wrapped in a waterproof safe and dropped into the deepest part of the seas was not as “secure” as it was useless. What most of us want are systems that will both be reliable and available. The CIA (confidentiality, integrity, and availability) model is a good reminder that what we’re protecting is not systems but productivity.