NSA Approves First 802.11b Product for Secret Data

joehoya writes "I realize this is a couple of days old, but the National Security Agency recently certified the Harris Corp's Secnet-11 as the first 802.11b system permitted to carry US SECRET level data. See press release. The system integrates NSA crypto with commercial chipset based 802.11b PCMCIA cards and access points to create a secure wireless LAN. Unfortunately, you and I won't be able to buy them, as they are only available to organizations with an NSA COMSEC account."

Comments

Re:Relax, my man

[Anonymous Coward]

^H^H^H^H is no longer funny, Not that it ever was.

Please stop using ^H^H^H^H is every freaking post its 15 minutes are over.

Re:But it only works with Windows..........

[snellac]

one of the OSes (only Windows versions) it works with are certified for TOP SECRET data

This is, incidentally, the one weakness of the press release offered today by the NSA. While this in essence is wonderful for the 802.11b community, it still cannot be effectively used by the Open Source community which the NSA is now an ardent supporter of.

The reason why it usually ends up this way is because of M$'s stranglehold on the wireless developer market, and thusly, its influence on "purchasing" coders at NSA. It's truly ruthless what measures they will do to prevent Open Sauce's entrance into the anti-hacker prosecution that the NSA prides itself on.

Because of Micro$haft's monopolistic practices, we may never be able to use these secure drivers offered to the National Security Agency, funded by taxpayer dollars. Why, you ask, is it that the NSA can get away with throwing our hard-earned tax dollars at evil corporations like M$ so that we are left without the DLLs to use our wireless routers on the free-as-in-beer OS we tout so much. Quite frankly, if we want to wirelessly pirate the efforts of hard-earned artists over our broadband, why should it be any of the NSA's business or M$'s evil-handedness to prevent us from porting their drivers to the PERL so we can use them on our Linux boxen?

Just another evil underhanded tactic utilized by Micro$haft.

Re:Ok, so what can WE use....

[TheKey]

What the FUCK, man? It's Windows, not Windoze. By spelling Windoze, or M$, or Winblows, you're only making yourself look extremely immature and conforming. That just gets on my nerves.

Yarr, mateys, here comes the off-topic.