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BITS-KRIEG Bravo to John Arquilla and Martin Libicki for their wake-up call [“Bits-Krieg,” June/July 2001]. The message that businesses must take responsibility for information security is priceless. Being on the front lines of the battlefield, I find it bewildering to see that businesses frequently have a false sense of confidence about their information security. Often, the victims of hacking don’t even know that they’ve been attacked. Even if they find out, it’s too late to do anything about it. Many companies install some kind of security device as a one-time deal, but that’s about as useful as placing a lock on a door and then not locking the door. Security systems should be tested from the outside, just as a company’s books are reviewed by independent auditors. Effective Internet security is a dynamic process that begins by establishing stringent policies and then implementing strong solutions. The time to win the battle is now. —Bruce Dow
‘DEGREES ‘R’ US Arnie Cooper’s article [“Degrees ‘R’ Us,” August/September 2001] was quite enlightening. I did not realize that there was such a big business in fake diplomas. Then again, the system of higher education in this country has always been a money-making proposition, peppered with a few courses to make it appear to be respectable. It has always been true that a couple of letters alongside one’s name has never meant as much as we’ve liked to pretend. If I had a dollar for every time I have heard someone say that he is attending a university just to get a “piece of paper,” I’d be rich. —C.F. McClain
CHURNING OUT IDEAS Bob Gilbert’s feature [“Churning Out Ideas,” August/September 2001] is refreshing. Observing users on a broad scale, as is happening in Cincinnati, is the key to refining products and services. High-speed, “broadband” data lines can foster new types of products, but widespread adoption will come only after they provide real benefit to customers. After all, the goal is to add value to our lives. Stock-market valuations have been slashed because companies haven’t satisfied their customers’ needs. So it’s time to focus on why we’re doing what we’re doing. Just because we are able to do something technologically doesn’t necessarily mean that we should, does it? —Evon Young
PLEASE STAND BY I differ with Bob Diddlebock on the effectiveness of speech recognition [“Please Stand By,” June/July 2001]. Although it cannot reliably handle conversation, speech recognition today is a very effective data input-and-retrieval medium when used with limited vocabularies, such as the ones you find in a particular industry or company. A company that we have invested in—Datria Systems [www.datria.com]—creates speech-recognition applications for field workers in the telecommunications, public works, and utilities industries. Datria’s customers report that they see tenfold efficiency gains over paper systems, and fivefold gains over keyboard- or stylus-entry devices. Customers also report better accuracy, and workers can keep their heads up while inputting or accessing data, which is a significant safety benefit. —Mark M. Soane
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