Jumbo Flying Squid: Conservation Concerns & Friday Squid Blogging

Conservation efforts are urgently needed for jumbo flying squid in the South Pacific, according to a recent post on Bruce Schneier’s blog, Schneier on Security. The March 20, 2026, entry, part of the regular “Friday Squid Blogging” series, highlights the precarious state of the squid population.

The blog post, which received four comments as of Saturday, March 21, 2026, also notes the ongoing utility of the series as a space to discuss current security concerns. Schneier’s blog frequently uses the squid posts as a conversational pivot point to unrelated cybersecurity issues.

While the recent post focuses on conservation, previous “Friday Squid Blogging” entries have detailed more dramatic encounters with these cephalopods. A 2009 post documented thousands of aggressive Humboldt squid invading the waters off San Diego, California. Divers reported being attacked, with one individual suffering a dislocated shoulder and a ruptured eardrum after being swarmed by the creatures. The Humboldt squid, described as growing up to seven feet long and weighing hundreds of pounds, were characterized as “intelligent and opportunistic” and possessing “razor-sharp beaks and toothy tentacles.”

Another entry, published in August 2025, recounted a first-person account of someone accidentally catching several Humboldt squid while fishing. Cybersecurity news featured alongside this post, including reports of increasing searches for ZIP files and the abuse of the Velociraptor forensic tool for malicious purposes. The same cybersecurity blog also noted AutoIT3 compiled scripts dropping shellcodes and a data breach at Barts Health NHS following an Oracle zero-day hack.

The Smithsonian Institution also features a giant squid exhibit, as noted in a separate “Friday Squid Blogging” post. The blog posts consistently credit Joe MacInnis for a sidebar photograph of Bruce Schneier.