IP: U. K. "Scanning" of PCs

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

Here here!! djf


To: David Farber <farber@CENTRAL.CIS.UPENN.EDU>
Subject: U. K. "Scanning" of PCs
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 98 09:49:55 -0500
From: William Hugh Murray <whmurray@sprynet.com>
X-Mailer: E-Mail Connection v3.1


-- [ From: William Hugh Murray * EMC.Ver #3.1 ] --


Oliver Cromwell's government justified its postal franchise
in part by the need to prevent "many dangerous and wicked
designs which have been and are daily contrived against the
welfare of this Commonwealth, the intelligence whereof
cannot well be communicated but by letter of escript."  Everyone 
understood that the only crime that the government was really concerned 
about were plots to restore the monarchy; that anything which was not 
obvious as to its meaning, and even much that was, would be taken as 
evidence of such a plot.  


One application of Occam's Razor says that one should never attribute to 
malice what can be explained by stupidity. By that test, what is being 
done by HM's government will simply disappear of its own weight and 
should not be a matter of concern.


However, this razor cuts both ways.  It is prudent to believe that the 
most obvious motive for behavior is the real one.  It is dangerous to 
grant to governments only the motives that they are prepared to admit 
to.  In this instance, suppose that HM's government had been silent on 
their motive; what would you assume?  Would it ever even occur to you 
that such a procedure was aimed at something that one is unlikely to 
find on any computer, such as child pornography, or would you assume 
that it was aimed at something that is likely to be found on most 
computers, business intelligence?  


Even if HMs government believes their own propaganda, business travelers 
must assume that, whatever the government's motive for looking, they 
will use whatever they see for its best purpose.  It is simply in the 
nature of government.