You Get What You Inspect

You Get What You Inspect

There are some great security catch phrases, like "Trust but verify." I found my new favorite in Fresher Cookers, an Economist article about designing stoves for the developing world.

“You don’t get what you expect—you get what you inspect,” says Dr [Kirk] Smith, [an expert on the impact of stove air-pollution on health.]

I think that maxim holds very true for anyone who inspects their enterprise to see how it is really used and abused. That saying holds true at every level -- network, platform, operating system, or application. All of these components are so complicated and ever-changing that you are likely to be surprised every time you stop to look at what's happening.