--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have to be free to investigate…" description: "\"People have to be free to investigate computer security. People have to be free to look for the vulnerabilities and create proof of concept code to sho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/edward-snowden-555_code_people-have-to-be-free-to-investigate-co_2243049.jpg" --- # People have to be free to investigate computer security… ![“People have to be free to investigate computer security. People have to be free to look for the vulnerabilities and create proof of concept code to show that they are true vulnerabilities in order for us to secure our systems.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/edward-snowden-555_code_people-have-to-be-free-to-investigate-co_2243049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/edward-snowden-555_code_people-have-to-be-free-to-investigate-co_2243049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/edward-snowden-555_code_people-have-to-be-free-to-investigate-co_2243049.jpg) > “People have to be free to investigate computer security. People have to be free to look for the vulnerabilities and create proof of concept code to show that they are true vulnerabilities in order for us to secure our systems.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that open security research is essential for protecting systems. **In simple terms:** Freedom to find bugs secures tech. Key Takeaway Support transparent vulnerability testing. Themes cybersecurity freedom responsibility Mood cautious thoughtful Type ethical technical When to use this quote - software development - government policy - corporate security - educational curricula - bug bounty programs Key Concepts ethical hacking proof of concept risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How to protect data while exposing flaws? - What safeguards prevent misuse of discovered bugs? A Different Perspective Balancing disclosure with potential abuse is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/code/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-security/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Vulnerability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerability/) ## Related quotes > [Fully secure systems don't exist today and they won't exist in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adi-shamir/fully-secure-systems-don-t-exist-today-and-they-won-t-exist-in-the/) [Adi Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adi-shamir/) > [People now know how important it is to build secure systems to underlie our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-stamos/people-now-know-how-important-it-is-to-build-secure-systems-to/) [Alex Stamos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-stamos/) > [The problem of viruses is temporary and will be solved in two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/the-problem-of-viruses-is-temporary-and-will-be-solved-in-two-years/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [People dont want to talk about death, just like they dont want to talk about computer security. 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Whereas previously the risk of computer compromise was vague and indirect, bitcoin makes these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-m-antonopoulos/fortunately-bitcoin-also-creates-the-incentives-to-improve-computer/) [Andreas M. Antonopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-m-antonopoulos/) > [“Dropbox users themselves may be the source of security problems. If you are sharing a folder with 100 users, a couple of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-lamont/dropbox-users-themselves-may-be-the-source-of-security-problems-if/) [Ian Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-lamont/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." 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But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Code quotes > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. 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