Fake IDs Increase Security in Iraq

2006-07-18 17:51:22 by esproul

Just read a fascinating post which describes an AP report on how fake IDs actually help people survive sectarian violence in Iraq. Since Iraqi surnames refer to tribe and clan, you can be targeted as a Sunni or Shiite by name alone. Being able to travel under an assumed name makes your daily life safer. It's an interesting real-life example of the law of unintended consequences.

Security is a topic I frequently think about. Computer system security is part of my job as a sysadmin, but I enjoy thinking about it as a larger socio-economic issue. Good security reading can always be found at Bruce Schneier's blog.