--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a…" description: "\"Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a problem. It can exist in more than one ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bruce-schneier-8231_chains_hardware-is-easy-to-protect-lock-it-in-a_572510.png" --- # Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it… ![“Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a problem. It can exist in more than one place; be transported halfway across the planet in seconds; and be stolen without your knowledge.” quote by Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bruce-schneier-8231_chains_hardware-is-easy-to-protect-lock-it-in-a_572510.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bruce-schneier-8231_chains_hardware-is-easy-to-protect-lock-it-in-a_572510.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55b/bruce-schneier-8231_chains_hardware-is-easy-to-protect-lock-it-in-a_572510.png) > “Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a problem. It can exist in more than one place; be transported halfway across the planet in seconds; and be stolen without your knowledge.” [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical assets can be secured physically, but data is fluid, replicable, and vulnerable across networks. **In simple terms:** Data is harder to protect than hardware. Key Takeaway Focus on digital security measures. Themes security privacy technology Mood concerned alert Type advisory practical When to use this quote - cloud storage - remote work - mobile devices - IoT deployments Key Concepts cryptography risk management information theory Questions to Reflect On - How can you protect data that moves instantly? - What policies reduce unnoticed data theft? A Different Perspective Physical locks cannot stop data breaches. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) ## Related quotes > [ Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster. (Or, sometimes known by\] Grove \[the head of Intel\] giveth and Gates \[the head of Microsoft\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-wirth/software-gets-slower-faster-than-hardware-gets-faster-or-sometimes/) [Niklaus Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklaus-wirth/) > [ \[Apple and RIM\] are probably restricted, in some sense, to a certain maximum. ... If you want to reach more people than that, you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/apple-and-rim-are-probably-restricted-in-some-sense-to-a-certain/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [Think about where does this stand in the experience continuum that you've been imagining, where the world's going to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/think-about-where-does-this-stand-in-the-experience-continuum-that/) [Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/) > [What makes a great standalone piece of hardware is not the same thing as what makes a great networking device. One can work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/what-makes-a-great-standalone-piece-of-hardware-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [I see the world as a knowledge hardware story, and every day I'm just walking through the aisles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/i-see-the-world-as-a-knowledge-hardware-story-and-every-day-i-m-just/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [I use a laptop more as a tool, as sort of the central artery. Everything goes through the digital audio card of my computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-fullerton-whitman/i-use-a-laptop-more-as-a-tool-as-sort-of-the-central-artery/) [Keith Fullerton Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-fullerton-whitman/) > [We are not intimidated by the size of the armies, or the type of hardware the US has brought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/we-are-not-intimidated-by-the-size-of-the-armies-or-the-type-of/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [BottleRock has these incredible VIP cabins where a chef is preparing sushi for you in your cabin or lounge decorated by Restoration Hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapino/bottlerock-has-these-incredible-vip-cabins-where-a-chef-is-preparing/) [Michael Rapino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapino/) > [Software is more important than hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/software-is-more-important-than-hardware/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [By being able to write a genome and plug it into an organism, the software, if you will, changes the hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schuler/by-being-able-to-write-a-genome-and-plug-it-into-an-organism-the/) [Barry Schuler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schuler/) > [The hardware and the software used in the Breakthrough project will be compatible with other telescopes around the world, so they too can search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-milner/the-hardware-and-the-software-used-in-the-breakthrough-project-will/) [Yuri Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-milner/) > [In software speed to market, speed to learning is really key. In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [While it is becoming increasingly obvious that the fundamental architecture of a system has a profound Influence on the quality of its human factors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-m-branscomb/while-it-is-becoming-increasingly-obvious-that-the-fundamental/) [Lewis M. Branscomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-m-branscomb/) > [Everything for us is a system. We don't think about it discretely as just as a piece of hardware, or discretely as an application...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/everything-for-us-is-a-system-we-don-t-think-about-it-discretely-as/) [Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/) > [Just remember: you're not a 'dummy,' no matter what those computer books claim. The real dummies are the people who-though technically expert-couldn't design hardware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/just-remember-you-re-not-a-dummy-no-matter-what-those-computer-books/) [Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/) ## More by Bruce Schneier > [It is sort of interesting that in our society this days we are very quick to apply the term 'war' to places where thare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/it-is-sort-of-interesting-that-in-our-society-this-days-we-are-very/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [There are two types of encryption: one that will prevent your sister from reading your diary and one that will prevent your government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/there-are-two-types-of-encryption-one-that-will-prevent-your-sister/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Don't make the mistake of thinking you're Facebook's customer, you're not – you're the product,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/don-t-make-the-mistake-of-thinking-you-re-facebook-s-customer-you-re/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Cryptography products may be declared illegal, but the information will never be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/cryptography-products-may-be-declared-illegal-but-the-information/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/the-real-targets-of-terrorism-are-the-rest-of-us-the-billions-of-us/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [A colleague once told me that the world was full of bad security systems designed by people who read Applied Cryptography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/a-colleague-once-told-me-that-the-world-was-full-of-bad-security/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/surveillance-is-the-business-model-of-the-internet/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [History has taught us: never underestimate the amount of money, time, and effort someone will expend to thwart a security system. It's always better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/history-has-taught-us-never-underestimate-the-amount-of-money-time/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [ID can be hijacked, and cards can be faked. All of the 9/11 terrorists had fake IDs, yet they still got on the planes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/id-can-be-hijacked-and-cards-can-be-faked-all-of-the-9-11-terrorists/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Terrorism is a crime against the mind. We win by refusing fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/terrorism-is-a-crime-against-the-mind-we-win-by-refusing-fear/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [It's certainly easier to implement bad security and make it illegal for anyone to notice than it is to implement good security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/it-s-certainly-easier-to-implement-bad-security-and-make-it-illegal/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [The very definition of news is something that hardly ever happens. If an incident is in the news, we shouldn't worry about it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/the-very-definition-of-news-is-something-that-hardly-ever-happens-if/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [“Even though we don't know which companies the NSA has compromised – or by what means – knowing that they could have compromised any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/even-though-we-don-t-know-which-companies-the-nsa-has-compromised-or/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Computer security can simply be protecting your equipment and files from disgruntled employees, spies, and anything that goes bump in the night, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/computer-security-can-simply-be-protecting-your-equipment-and-files/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [Security is a process, not a product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/security-is-a-process-not-a-product/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) [Explore all 82 Bruce Schneier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) ## More Chains quotes > [Unchecked, the new tolerance will sooner or later put many people in chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/unchecked-the-new-tolerance-will-sooner-or-later-put-many-people-in/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/) [Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/) > [We don't have a farm-to-table food safety system. I keep saying this. It came as a big surprise to the FDA that tomatoes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/we-don-t-have-a-farm-to-table-food-safety-system-i-keep-saying-this/) [Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [How can I set free anyone who doesn't have the guts to stand up alone and declare his own freedom? I think it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/how-can-i-set-free-anyone-who-doesn-t-have-the-guts-to-stand-up-alone/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [I'm bigger than you! I'm higher on the food chain - get in my belly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/i-m-bigger-than-you-i-m-higher-on-the-food-chain-get-in-my-belly/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The chains will fall off freely, no more worries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dl-watson/the-chains-will-fall-off-freely-no-more-worries/) DL WATSON > [I am ever mindful of the legacy of my grandfather, the founder of this Kingdom, who had said to me that he perceived his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/i-am-ever-mindful-of-the-legacy-of-my-grandfather-the-founder-of-this/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/think-about-it-we-went-into-slavery-pagans-we-came-out-christians-we/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [To one who is accustomed to thinking a lot, every new thought that he hears or reads about immediately appears as a link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-one-who-is-accustomed-to-thinking-a-lot-every-new-thought-that-he/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Man's ethics must not end with man, but should extend to the universe. He must regain the consciousness of the great Chain of Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/man-s-ethics-must-not-end-with-man-but-should-extend-to-the-universe/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [To sigh, yet feel no pain; To weep, yet scarce know why; To sport an hour with Beauty's chain, Then throw it idly by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/to-sigh-yet-feel-no-pain-to-weep-yet-scarce-know-why-to-sport-an-hour/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) [Browse all 1,639 Chains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hardware is easy to protect: lock it in a room, chain it to a desk, or buy a spare. Information poses more of a problem. 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