Hogwarts and Security Issues in Harry Potter (mild spoilers)
Bruce Schneier, noted crypto and security guy, has an entertaining thread of comments on various security issues at Hogwarts in the latest installment of Harry Potter, starting with a post from Karl Lembke:
In the latest Harry Potter book, we see Hogwarts implementing security precautions in order to safeguard its students and faculty.
One step that was taken was that all the students were searched – wanded, in fact – to detect any harmful magic. In addition, all mail coming in or out was checked for harmful magic.
In spite of these precautions, two students are nearly killed by cursed items.
Brent Dax comments:
There are actually some very interesting bits of security in the Potter series. One of my favorites is the Fidelius Charm, a spell that can restrict the flow of information by ensuring that only one person can communicate a particular fact to others. (It’s used in the series to protect the addresses of sensitive locations, but there’s nothing to suggest it couldn’t be put to other uses.) This reminds me somewhat of a DRM system, although it’s certainly far more effective than anything programmers have written thus far. In the series, the Charm does its job perfectly–but the security it provides fails when the person trusted to keep the secret turns out to be less than trustworthy.
and many more comments. I actually haven’t had a chance to read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince yet, although I’ve come across much of the plot in reviews and comments by now.
Anyway, a little silly, but entertaining if you enjoy both Harry Potter and security technology.
Tags: harrypotter, security, humor, fun
October 4th, 2005 at 4:28 am
I have a few questions,(if any one can answer)
Don’t remember ehen harry checked that when was the Half Blood Prince’s potions book published it said it was more than 50 years ago and harry also said that none of his fathers friends could have wrote in it because it was about 50 years ago but Snape was also in James’s year.
How could he have wrote in it ? I think it was Voldemort even though J.k said that he wasn’t, because Voldemort was also afterall brilliant at potions because he was Slughorns best student.
November 2nd, 2005 at 6:48 am
here u can read Harry Potter and the
Half Blood Prince : http://boox.atspace.com