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Sat, 23 Oct 2004
Lax Security Will Catch Up With You

Sometimes we can get away with lax computer security for a time. Some might call it luck (or dumb luck), others call it divine favor (Matthew 5:44, 45; Luke 6:35, 36). Eventually, there is judgement day. Let me illustrate by pointing to a recent traffic catastrophe in my home state.

On October 18 in the late afternoon, “Dozens of vehicles crashed Saturday in separate accidents on Interstate 95 as a storm blew through a Baltimore suburb, injuring at least 49 people and forcing authorities to shut down the highway.” (See a news story at AP News (or search for “49 Hurt As Storm Triggers Md. Accidents”). Two people involved commented, that “the road wasn’t slippery but the glare was unusually strong from sleet on the road, even while wearing sunglasses,” and “Everybody stopped because of the glare and the sleet.”

You see, on the highways in Maryland, traffic typically moves at the posted speed limit or above. In addition, the cars and trucks — moving at 60 to 75 MPH do not maintain what the driving books all call “a safe stopping distance.” When I drive the highways during morning rush hour the speeds average 10 MPH over the limit (for example, 65 on US 29, which has a 55 MPH limit) with a car length or less between vehicles. And that works just fine … usually. But when one or more drivers have to lay on the brakes, this starts a chain reaction. Still, sometimes we get away with it. Other times we get what is depicted in the WBAL-TV11 photo, below.

What is your network going to look like?

Photo of pile-up on I95

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