From: http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0505.html
Wi-Fi Minefields The U.S. is laying a minefield in Iraq that can be controlled by a soldier with a wi-fi-enabled laptop. Put aside arguments about the ethics and efficacy of landmines. Assume they exist and are being used. Given that, the question is whether radio-controlled landmines are better or worse than regular landmines. This comment, for example, seems to get it wrong: "'We're concerned the United States is going to field something that has the capability of taking the man out of the loop when engaging the target, ' said senior researcher Mark Hiznay of Human Rights Watch. 'Or that we're putting a 19-year-old soldier in the position of pushing a button when a blip shows up on a computer screen. '" With conventional landmines, the man is out of the loop as soon as he lays the mine. Even a 19-year-old seeing a blip on a computer screen is better than a completely automatic system. Were I the U.S. military, I would be more worried whether the mines could accidentally be triggered by radio interference. I would be more worried about the enemy jamming the radio control mechanism. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-04-12-laptop-mines_x.htm http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22522 -------------- Frank Keeney Tel: +1-626-344-1424 Pasadena Networks, LLC Wireless Antennas, Cables and Equipment: http://www.wlanparts.com
