The Homunculus Problem: Why You Will Lose the Battle of BYOD

WHY YOU WILL LOSE THE BATTLE OF BYOD

The Homunculus Problem

October 19-20, 2013

Who Am I?

• Michele Chubirka, aka Mrs. Y.• Senior security architect. • B2B writer/blogger and host of

Healthy Paranoia, information security podcast channel of Packetpushers.

• Researches and pontificates on topics such as security architecture and best practices.

Entitlement

‘A survey that asked thousands of young 20-something workers their attitudes about bring-your-own-device policies found slightly more than half view it as their "right" to use their own mobile devices at work, rather than BYOD being just a "privilege.”

Shadow IT

…1 out of 3 said they would gladly break any anti-BYOD rules and "contravene a company's security policy that forbids them to use their personal devices at work or for work purposes."

Where is “Self?”

Close your eyes.Put your finger where you think your “self” is

located.

Homuncu-who?

Term used in alchemy for an artificial, miniature human body.

Homunculus

In modern psychology and neuroscience, the homunculus represents the concept of “self.”

Homunculus Argument

The Homunculus Argument:A false idea of cognition based upon the illusion of Cartesian Theater: i.e. a little person or homunculus inside the head watching sensory data on a screen.

Illusion of Cartesian Theater

What Is Mind

“The mind … is not bounded by the biological organism but extends into the environment of that organism. “

Andy Clark and Extended Mind

“Consider two subjects carry out a mathematical task. The first completes the task solely in her head, while the second completes the task with the assistance of paper and pencil. … as long as the cognitive results are the same there is no reason to count the means employed by the two subjects as different.…”

The idea that mind is limited to “skin and skull” is arbitrary and false.

Physical Boundaries

Neuroscientist, V.S. Ramachandran, studies Phantom Limb Syndrome.

It is the phenomenon of feeling the presence of a limb which has been amputated.

60% to 80% of those with amputations experience phantom sensations.

An individual can even feel excruciating pain associated with the phantom limb.

Phantom Limbs

While working with combat veteran amputees, he discovered that they found relief when another person massaged their own limb.

This was attributed to mirror neurons and led him to studies using mirror boxes to create simulated limbs.

What Does This Have To Do With BYOD?

Neuroscience, Chemicals and BYOD

My Device is my addiction.

Just Like a Drug

Neurobehavioralist Michael Seyffert indicates that one out of five teens have sleep interrupted due to texting.

“Neuro-imaging studies have shown that those kids who are texting have that area of their brain light up the same as an addict using heroin.”

Addiction

In a study of 205 people in Wurtzburg, Germany conducted by Chicago University it was found that resisting Twitter and email was harder than an urge for cigarettes and alcohol.

Researchers found that willpower became lower later in the day, but that the participants could still resist other impulses.

Connection and Bonding

In a study conducted by neuroeconomist Dr. Paul Zak, it was demonstrated that oxytocin levels spike during the use of social media, while cortisol and ACTH levels decrease.

Oxytocin is a hormone linked to emotional bonding and empathy.

Cortisol and ACTH are stress hormones.

"E-connection is processed in the brain like an in-person connection."

-Dr. Paul Zak

Seeking

• Our “seeking” mechanism is controlled by the neurotransmitter dopamine.

• Basically, it’s the chemical root of desire and humans are always seeking out this experience.

• Think drugs of stimulation such as cocaine and amphetamines.

Liking

Our “liking” system is the reward for the seeking. This is the opioid system being stimulated.

Wanting and liking are complementary.

My Device is my identity.

Manifestation of Ego

“...every single psychiatric disorder can be predicted by use of technology and it turns out that one of the main culprits is social media. … social media is really a palate to express our personality….”

- Dr. Larry Rosen, author of “iDisorder”

Chimeras, Cyborgs and BCI

“...high tech interaction certainly is already delivering therapeutically…quadriplegic people … by virtue of implants in the brain they can now will a cursor to move on a computer screen.”

– Professor Susan Greenfield

Beyond Neuroplasticity: The Hybrid Age

“The Hybrid Age is a new sociotechnical era that is unfolding as technologies merge with each other and humans merge with technology …. Externally, technology no longer simply processes our instructions on a one-way street…. We don’t just use technology; we absorb it.”

- Parag Khanna and Ayesha Khanna

BYOD Is Efficient,Security Is Expensive

Bounded Rationality

The human brain is a “cognitive miser.”It must optimize under constraints due to

limitations of time, money and external agents.

Fast and frugal.It evolved by creating an adaptive toolbox of

smart heuristics, or shortcuts, that increased efficiency.

Effort from the user is never “free.”

Humans always attempt to maximize reward, while minimizing punishment.

Users Will Pick Dancing Pigs Every Time

“…users are never offered security, …. They are offered long, complex and growing sets of advice, mandates, policy updates and tips. These sometimes carry vague and tentative suggestions of reduced risk, never security.” - Cormac Herley, “So Long, And No Thanks for the Externalities: The Rational Rejection of Security Advice by Users”

Final Thoughts

The answer to BYOD cannot be, “No,” but a qualified “Yes,

and….”

Where Am I?

Spending quality time in kernel mode practicing and refining my particular form of snark.www.healthyparanoia.net Twitter @MrsYisWhy Google+ MrsYisWhynetworksecurityprincess@gmail.com chubirka@packetpushers.nethttp://www.networkcomputing.com/blogs/author/Michele-Chubirka

Questions?

Feedback?https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BSidesDC13-

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