People love stories- especially sensational stories. When Al Gore wins a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to increase awareness about global warming it gets a passing headline and fades away. But, if an actor dies of an accidental drug overdose or a passenger jet crashes in a river- now THAT is news worth covering...and covering...and covering. That is the kind of sensational story that people chat about over lunch, and gossip about by the proverbial 'water cooler'.
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The fascination with sensational stories might also explain the persistence of urban myths. Nobody has been drugged and awoken the next morning in a bathtub of ice to find that their kidneys have been harvested by organ thieves- but the story continues to spread. President Barack Obama (still President-elect technically, but only 2 days until inauguration- close enough) is not, and never has been a Muslim.
Now, personally my reaction was 'so what if he is?'. There is nothing wrong with being a Muslim and we have no laws in place prohibiting a Muslim from being President. So, I never really understood why the story was so compelling. But, it was a sensational story that fed the fear-mongering so loved by those opposed to Barack Obama so the story persists.
We have our own persistent myths in information security. They may not be as exciting as having kidneys stolen or the potential that the President of the United States is part of some sort of Al Qaeda sleeper cell, but they're there. You have probably seen many of the hoaxes and chain mails that go around.
Perhaps you have heard that Microsoft is testing a new email system and will pay you $1 for everyone you forward the email to and for everyone that forwards your forward? Bill Gates might be able to afford that, but don't hold your breath. Erik Larken addresses what he considers to be the Five Most Dangerous Security Myths in a series of articles on PC World. Follow the links below to find out what the myths are and educate yourself on the reality so you can protect your PC.
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The fascination with sensational stories might also explain the persistence of urban myths. Nobody has been drugged and awoken the next morning in a bathtub of ice to find that their kidneys have been harvested by organ thieves- but the story continues to spread. President Barack Obama (still President-elect technically, but only 2 days until inauguration- close enough) is not, and never has been a Muslim.
Now, personally my reaction was 'so what if he is?'. There is nothing wrong with being a Muslim and we have no laws in place prohibiting a Muslim from being President. So, I never really understood why the story was so compelling. But, it was a sensational story that fed the fear-mongering so loved by those opposed to Barack Obama so the story persists.
We have our own persistent myths in information security. They may not be as exciting as having kidneys stolen or the potential that the President of the United States is part of some sort of Al Qaeda sleeper cell, but they're there. You have probably seen many of the hoaxes and chain mails that go around.
Perhaps you have heard that Microsoft is testing a new email system and will pay you $1 for everyone you forward the email to and for everyone that forwards your forward? Bill Gates might be able to afford that, but don't hold your breath. Erik Larken addresses what he considers to be the Five Most Dangerous Security Myths in a series of articles on PC World. Follow the links below to find out what the myths are and educate yourself on the reality so you can protect your PC.
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