Claremont: "Security through Obscurity"

A reader sent us a reaction to the City's plan to hide the report of the security consultant on problems with the City of Claremont website and computer system.

As a computer professional, I'm astounded that the city would decide to hide the results of their security audit. "Security through Obscurity" is a widely-derided concept. It isn't that hard to make a website secure, and it really shouldn't involve any deep secrets. Presumably thousands of cities across the country have done it.

What this regular human being does not understand is that secrecy and obfuscation is a way of life, a credo, a hard-wired response with these people. It is a reflexive reaction that occurs without thought or consideration. It is limbic. It won't change until the voters make it change. Our guess is that the City Council will sit up there like potted plants on this matter. We get the kind of government we deserve.