NSA to Become Government Net 'Traffic Cop?'

OriginalArlen writes "The NSA may be appointed 'Internet traffic cop', overseeing data sharing among US government agencies for Homeland Security, according to an A.P. report on SecurityFocus. Apparently the aim is to improve security of all government networks." This would seem to follow in the footsteps of creating the Department of Homeland Security, since the aim is to enable better sharing of data between government institutions.

Comments

NSA == Spy && !SecurityInforcer

[Space_Soldier]

"Apparently the aim is to improve security of all government networks." That does not make sense; is not the job of the NSA to brake security of any network in order to easedrop on the conversations? It is a spy agency, not a security agency.

Re:NSA == Spy && !SecurityInforcer

[Anonymous Coward]

It's definitely a security agency [too]. Part of their job is to make sure US government use secure systems and protocols.

Re:NSA == Spy && !SecurityInforcer

[PornMaster]

I don't know if you remember the Clipper Chip initiative from the Clinton Administration -- '93/'94, but the NSA was pushing to get a key-escrow encryption chip in production and mandated for use when communicating sensitive data with the Feds.

Of course, nobody outside the US would use it, since the gov't would keep a backdoor key...

Here's some info from NIST about it that plainly talks about the NSA's involvement.

Re:NSA == Spy && !SecurityInforcer

[leerpm]

Personally, I don't see a problem with it either. The NSA is already reknowned for it's ability to secure networks & systems very well. I believe they write many of the books & guidelines that government agencies and companies use to secure their networks. Perhaps we will see an expanded use of SE-Linux?

erm...

[REBloomfield]

I can't read the article, as my wonderful UK Government overseers have deemed it bad enough to go on the proxy blacklist, but... how is policing Government networks the same as policing the entire Internet???

Well hey...

[EvilTwinSkippy]

The best cops are the ones you don't know are there.

Re:Well hey...

[zoloto]

Well, this is very true in most cases however, I'm always worried about the abusue of power that sometimes comes with authority and especially with anonymity. You could have 100,000 seriously awesome, kick-ass agents out there that do in fact protect the rights and privlidges of the USA citizens while thwarting criminals, crime and other malicious deeds. But all it takes is one. One dishonest, power absorbed individual to abuse his granted powers of authority and it becomes public. Suddenly, these hidden cops are targeted when they're found and the people take out their rage on one of the good guys.

I do believe in the good nature of people, but the responsibility of honor and integrity in the shadow of anonymity with authority is too much power for almost everyone to hold. I do not want this responsibility simply because of the personal temptation to not be so honest, especially when you know there is a tiny chance of getting caught, or in being complacent thus making things worse when you throw a blanket X (arrests, fines, punishments etc.) over a stereotyped group.

In theory this could work. But unless the organisation dealt with themselves, policed themselves so efficently that severe misdeeds were punished with prison or confinement for example (maybe without judicial review, but that's iffy), it would never work in reality. You would need highly trained, talented, motivated, honorable men and women with the educational, cognitive and dicipline to do such a job.

Unfortunately, people like that are hard to come by... espeically ones who can withstand and take the burden of responsibility while maintaining a level head and not letting his ego swell.

Just my 0.02c

DHS is redundant

[_iris]

I never could come to grips with creating a Department of Homeland Security when we already had a National Security Agency. It seems more like Bush had more out-of-work friends than he had positions to appoint them to.

On a side note, has anyone else heard that the entrance to the DHS building is in an alley, and the entire office space is about as big is the lobby of the CIA HQ?

Re:Whew..

[PornMaster]

Just because it's not the subject of this article, don't assume that they're not watching your traffic.

Echelon doesn't get much coverage these days, but I'm sure it's still out there.

NSA has -always- had dual roles

[ishmalius]

Once again, this is not news. NSA has always had the dual mission:

• Cryptography : the design and implementation of secret communications.
• Cryptology : the analysis of existing secret communications.

Ever since its inception, it has had these two tasks... making secure codes for this government, and breaking the codes of other governments.
Here is their mission statement

Re:Anybody want to guess?

[digitalchinky]

The 'effort' will cost virtually nothing more than one of the front end operators tuning up a modem somewhere, or adding a couple extra patches to the spiderweb...

There's a logical reason for doing this - NSA has people already trained, systems already in place, will not cost the tax payer too much extra cash.

DSD is going in a similar direction - no matter how much the public like to jump up and down about it - it's the way of the future. Ok, so ASIO is meant to deal with domestic tapping, but has a very 'strong' history of 'borrowing' DSD personnel for the technical aspects - why 'not' get DSD to do it?

Simplification basically is the reason - no conspiracy theories, it just makes sense. If you are 'shocked' at this move, you are essentially blind to things that have been going on since the 'internet' started.

Analogy overuse alert level: RED

[miu]

In an interview preceding his speech, Wolf told The Associated Press that computer networks at U.S. organizations are like medieval castles, each protected by different-size walls and moats.

He then proceeds to add traffic cops, building standards, and interconnectedness to the mix and try to maintain the castle analogy.

I know that analogy and metaphor can be a powerful tool in helping people understand systems, but it is painful to watch a speaker twist and manipulate their explanations trying to fit things into the framework they decided to use.

It also makes me wonder if the speaker is intentionally misleading his audience.

Re:NSA domestic?

[superpulpsicle]

I know people who have had jobs with a relatively low level security clearance. These people claim that they could hear their phones tap at random times. I can't even imagine what people with high level clearance have to deal with.

Here comes the new Sheriff

[DrDebug]

The innocence (ignorance) of the early Internet is long gone. The hackers and scammers and spammers and phishers and terrorists have found they can profit from the current state of the Internet. Their exploits will cost us all.

Our freedom and liberties are now fading. We will no longer be anonymous in our posts. The age-old question of liberty tempered by security concerns once again raises it's head.

The NSA may be the new sheriff in town. They will require more money and more computer power than what they have now; but given the will of a security-conscious government, it will happen. Big Brother will be born again, unless a knowledgable judiciary reigns in their power.

It was fun while it lasted. Everything changes.