Bruce Schneier has written extensively on security in the last decade, but some of his better pieces have focused on the foibles of airport security in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.  He has taken to calling the measures of the Trasnportation Security Administration (TSA) security theater.

With the failed attempt of the “underwear” or “crotch bomber” on Christmas Day, Schneier has written some astute observations on his blog and in a recent opinion piece on CNN.  Go read it, then add his blog to your feedreader and read it regularly.

The conclusion of Schneier’s opinion piece on CNN is much of what he has said in the last few years when it comes to airport security:

Focus on the general risk of terrorism, and not the specific threat of airplane bombings using PETN-filled underwear. Focus on the general risk of troubled teens, and not the specific threat of a lone gunman wandering around a school. Ignore the movie-plot threats, and concentrate on the real risks.

Just think of how hassle-free flying could be if we protected against those general risks as opposed to utilizing a reactionary position to the most recent terrorist event–successful or unsuccessful.