Vulnerabilities: (In)Security

A cyber attack thought to emanate from North Korea recently took down Web sites operated by the Treasury Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and the New York Stock Exchange, among others.

Federal investigators bearing bomb components recently were able to waltz into federal buildings and assemble the bombs inside.

Both episodes serve as reminders that much work remains to be done shoring up the nation's sieve-like security infrastructure. But Americans should not expect an unattainable perfection -- particularly when the nation can't even keep drugs out of prisons.

Increasing security often entails significant tradeoffs involving money, liberty, or openness. A thorough X-ray-and-pat-down search of every person entering a federal building might reduce the risk of a terrorist attack from inside. A partial strip search would improve security even more -- and bring the buildings to a standstill. Do Americans want to endure such measures?

Perhaps not now. But they might, if the nation were subjected to a series of attacks on par with Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building. Americans need to have some serious conversations about these questions -- preferably before such attacks, not after them.