Trustworthy Software For The NSA?

Janus Daniels writes "There's a new story from the New York Times, as reprinted at CNET News, about security concerns for Government agencies buying software from overseas. According to the article, a whistle-blower who helped sell software to the National Security Agency says that much of the development work is subcontracted to China, raising serious national security risks. He also discovered in the sales-support database... the names of more than 30 [identity-classified] employees of the United States National Security Agency...'"

Comments

chinese intelligence

[lurgyman]

And obviously Chinese intel has capitalized on this - succesfully directing the US Air Force to it's embassy during the Serbian fiasco a few years back...

Outsiders

[mjihad]

Obviously, having all software written in the US eliminates the risk of having security risks.

Re:Outsiders

[SoSueMe]

Obviously, having all software written in the US eliminates the risk of having security risks.
--
http://moonjihad.lifesnotsimple.com/ [lifesnotsimple.com]
[ Reply to This ]

Re:Outsiders (Score:0)
by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 07, @05:25PM (#6386125)
but substantionally reduces quality ;-)

See kiddies, two wrongs don't make a right.

Easter Eggs

[L. VeGas]

NSA is about total information, right?

I think it's a good idea that NSA software is developed in China. I bet there are "undocumented" key combinations that will disable Macrovision and regional restrictions.

What suits them best.

[The Old Burke]

NSA is so importsnat that they should be allowed to use whatever software solutions they have to.

China is free democratic and trustworty country with a growing group software developers.I'm sure that they could make something secure for NSA that we could lay our nations hands in. It's extremly important that we help to foster proprietary solutions that will help bussiness abroad.

And after all its much better to use secure and trusted solutios from a close ally than having to resort to some of those old versions of UNIX. Know that SCO probably wins their case and AIX and Solaris goes down the drain, it could be nice to have some other alternatives than only american software. Because we all know, as DARPA found out, that you just can't trust FreeBSD and Linux in an environment like the NSA needs.

don't buy skynet!!

[slyguy420]

whatever you do, don't buy that fancy new software from skynet!! /ahnuld accent on "Trust Me" /off

This is why we need DRM.

[Anonymous Coward]

OSS is just giving the plans to the enemy. With DRM, Bill Gates will ensure that all Americans sleep at night under the blanket of freedom. If you don't agree with that, then GET THE HELL OUT of this country!!!

Re:Even if its in the U.S.

[L. VeGas]

who's to say that there might not be spies writting the software

Absolutely correct. Think Banzai Buddy.
Where do you think spyware comes from?

Uh. Wow.

[Elwood P Dowd]

I know someone that has a small software company that's done contract work for the CIA. He is much, much more careful with his software than that, and would never make a mistake like that because he'd be afraid that he'd lose his security clearance and never be able to get his cushy government contracts.

He also said that he worked for a certain salad dressing company once, and they were much more careful about their trade secrets (recepies) than the CIA was about anything.

Re:NSA, CIA, HSA...

[jonman_d]

That's foreign. They haven't blown anyone up domestically, have they?

Re:NSA, CIA, HSA...

[meme_police]

I thought you said: "CIA they are simply an information-gathering agency"? Or is blowing people up some new form of gathering information?

Re:Trusting trust

[Anonymous Coward]

that's just what they want you to think, because you weren't part of the inner circle -- hq isn't at ft. meade, it's really deep in the hills of west virginia only reachable by turbolift (which has an access hatch reachable by a single submarine under the potomac).

your anti-fud is fud about the fud!

These guys are missing the obvious...

[wezelboy]

Okay. So they test LSF in China.... big deal. C'mon people! LSF is written by CANADIANS! This is the country with 90% of its population within 200 miles of our northern border- they are poised for invasion! This is the country that is secretly spewing tons of CFCs into the atmosphere to drive up their real estate prices through global warming. While the lower 48 is a desert wasteland, those hockey loving, eh sayin' canucks will be living in a tropical paradise! Do you think it is a coincidence that microsoft is headquartered so close to the Canadian border? And what about all the money they make selling all that maple syrup? Where does that go? That's right... straight to the ACLU! I for one won't stand for it! The evil empire must be stopped! ;-)

Re:NSA, CIA, HSA...

[_ph1ux_]

well i have heard from friend who know some people who first hand got information from a very reliable source in the DMV whos cousin used to want to be in the CIA that your information is pure hyperbole!

Re:It's a government agency, what's the shock?

[Grishnakh]

From the linked article:
The Grays have renegged on their abduction quota agreement, and are abducting many more people than before. Most of these are returned, after being implanted with a device which allows the grays to have total control over their thoughts and actions. Approximately 40% of Americans now carry one of these devices, which are impossible to remove without killing the host.

So this is why Americans seem so stupid these days!

What is the world coming to?

[eniu!uine]

Next thing you know we'll be trusting our software developement to Finish nationals.