The cost of convenience: a faustian deal [computer security]

The greatest threat to security is not privacy but convenience. If I send an email unencrypted, for example, I do so because I don't want to bother with encryption; for this convenience, I compromise both security and privacy. If I elect to double-talk around a sensitive subject over an insecure telephone connection rather than going some place with a secure phone, the cost again is compromised security and privacy. The sloppy use of many technologies of convenience reduces our privacy, which, in turn, leaves us more vulnerable to such serious threats as stalking, identity theft, intellectual property theft, and even espionage (both industrial and conventional). The problem is not with the technologies themselves but with our unwillingness to take the requisite precautions when using them. This generally results from a lack of awareness about the risks involved.