Slashdot Mirror
Homeland Security Adds Cybersecurity Position
Matimus writes "Information Week has a story about the new Cybersecurity position in the Department of Homeland Security. They have stated IT management is one of their six major concerns." From the article: "Homeland Security's decision to create an assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications is expected to be well received by Congress and IT advocates calling for better use of technology in securing the country's physical and virtual borders. In May, the House of Representatives passed a $34 billion budget for Homeland Security that called for elevating the nation's head cybersecurity official to assistant secretary status."
What are the qualifications?
Will this be any type of technical position, or will it be political?
It could be worse, it could be Monday.
What a good way to spend taxpayers' money.
Somehow I feel that the US government will not be happy until we have "secured our borders" until the government is entirely isolated.
Not the country mind you, just the government. I often seem to feel that the US government would be ALOT happier without citizens to get in the way too.
Just a boy doing unproffesional IT work that's way above his head.
I wonder how they plan to compete with commercial interests that are willing to pay top dollar for individuals suitable to the task. I can't imagine DHS would pay what a Bank of America or Walmart would .
I wish someone would elevate my role in the IT world to assistant-secretary status!
Technically, it will be political, of course!
Another puppet official to tell us we need the death penalty for hackers?
I wonder how much of the money will go towards research to blow "terrorists" computers up, then since the technology is already around, let's just finish off all the file sharers.
They're trying to break up Microsoft again?!
Will this position's office have a revolving door, like the previous "cybersecurity czar" gig at DHS?
The position is one of complete and utter impotence. Microsoft calls the shots in the industry. They have little interest in changing/fixing their shit beyond getting suckers to pay to upgrade.
Microsoft helped put Bush in office so they'd get away from the whole antitrust thing with a little slap on the wrist. That same government is still in power, and will not lean very hard on Microsoft to clean up the information security mess their shitty products have made.
We would never in a million years read private, innocent citizens emails. Why on earth would you think we would even want to?
Oh Btw, your under arrest for sharing Peter Pan on Kaaza
...otherwise how in the world can we arrest an Australian for software piracy???
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Securing the virtual border ?
I'm not sure about you, but that smells like they are planning to firewall USA ?
Whats next ? Content filtering ?
morcego
Is that left-wing dirty hippy conspiracy theorizing communist bastard sick or something? I'm worried about him.
The previous cybersecurity position in the DHS (where the directors had the job expectation of a Drummer in Spinal Tap) was several rungs lower on the totem pole.
Making it an assistant secretary position is a big increase in authority, which should (hopefully) translate into some significant action.
Test your net with Netalyzr
Now, I feel safe from all the terrorists and evil doers. Finally!
And we're all going to take computer security advice from an organization that's known to not get it right itself? Why not just listen to the many people out there who have offered their advice for free? Most organizations' security situations are easily improved - it's more a matter of willingness than of knowledge.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
The assistant secretary... will he have to do jobs like answer the phone and take messages?
"I understand you want to be in charge of cyber security. This interview will be short. There is just one question. Which OS do you have on your home computer?"
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
"Homeland Security's decision to create an assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications is expected to be well received by Congress and IT advocates calling for better use of technology in securing the country's physical and virtual borders.
Why do people insist on seeing borders on the Internet? The word itself is composed of "inter" and "network". By applying the metaphor of "border" (either physical or (duck ... incoming cliche) "virtual") they're in essence calling the "internet" an "innerlan".
I hope the DHS can move beyond that limited and sophmoric understanding and instead realize we have interests - not borders. There are no borders on the Internet (excusing the valiant if not wrong efforts of the Chineses).
What if DHS instead focused on our interests: a secure platform for business and government and an accessible platform for communication? What they do afterwards is debatable from now until way past the end of time, but I think their metaphors are so misguided they jeopardize later efforts.
In focusing on the concept of 'borders' on the Internet the leave the chute with shaky reasoning and risk all the problems always associated with a poor meta-understanding of their goals.
The Luddites were ahead of their time.
When Microsoft goes through with their plans to buy Gator... uh, I mean Claria, there's bound to be layoffs. But not to worry: the Department of Homeland Security is always eager to hire spyware and adware company employees.
Good to see the government looking out for the best interests of American citizens!
Why not Peter Weller?
He was the original Robocop
I'm a firm believer that the DHS has no place in its present state dealing with 'technology.' They clearly have their hands full with remarkably menial tasks.
Even so it is yet another powerless position that we as tax payers must foot the bill for, let the bloating continue!
Maybe now it'll be easier to stop all this rampant cyber-terrorism. Or maybe it'll just make it easier for government to snoop on us. Or maybe it'll just make it easier to get rid of those pesky pirates, yarr.
insert inflammatory anti-microsoft comment here
"SHAKA LAKA DERKA DERKA! JEHAD DARKA ALAH!
He'll then see how much of the American people's tax dollars are being spent. His face will begin to brighten. Then to a small smile, until he is rolling on the floor laughing.
Then he'll say "Oh, derka derka derka..."
Time is comparison of movement to other movement.
One of these days you'll be telling your grandchildren what it was like to have an internet be as free and open as the frontier once was (though obviously with perils of its own just like the frontier had). If the kids ask which you prefered, chaotic but free, or secure but controlled, what will you say?
honestly, can't they avoid such a hackneyed term?
do you cybermail? anybody browse the cyberweb? go to work to fix lusers cyberstations? didn't think so.
*ducks the troll/flamebait mod by posting as AC*
"Be incomprehensible. If they can't understand, they can't disagree"
Ahh a time cube fan I see.
The assistant secretary will be responsible for identifying and assessing the vulnerability of critical telecommunications infrastructure and assets. That person also will be called upon to gather critical-infrastructure threat information and lead the national response to cyber and telecommunications attacks, according to information available on Homeland Security's Web site.
So, how about the protection of our personal records? Maybe the DHS should hire an individual responsible for ensuring that the personal records maintained by large corporations and credit reporting agencies are kept secure as well.
It's funny, actually. Couldn't a well-funded "cyberterrorist" theoretically compromise one of those organizations, engage in identity theft, and then use their stolen identity to help them commit a "real world" terrorist act?
Do you like German cars?
One of his first suggestions will be to switch all critical machines to a more secure, non-windows OS (I'll leave the /. crowd to debate which one). Microsoft will lobby against it. Lawmakers will notice that we have the rest of the world paying the Microsoft tax, which is in turn taxed by the US government, and decide to keep Microsoft around. Nothing will change except the occasional yellow or orange fear alert light.
So, I wonder what this new person will be a fanboy of? Will it be Linux, BSD, Microsoft, Unix? Or will he be a fanboy of doing it the right way in the right situation?
I have a funny feeling that he will be a unix or windows only fanboy who leads down one bastardized road. Trying to please corperate masters rather than do something that works. But, I pray he does a real good job.
Evolution or ID?
I hope that whoever is appointed has the intelligence to realize that the biggest cyber-threat to the government is extremely exploitable evil software. Maybe they'll wise up and move government systems to something a bit more SECURE, for Homeland SECURITY'S sake?
Isn't it interesting how you come to recognize posters based solely on their sigs???
Damnit. Now worms etc will become a matter of "national security" and they'll be able to prosecute the hell out of whoever crafts them.
I like how he was in this position, but now thinks dept homeland security can't hack it.
http://appserv.gcn.com/22_20/news/22904-1.html
He thinks vendors need to come up with a standardizes vulnerability test bed. I'm not sure exactly how this would be done (hackers do non-standard testing), but it sounds interesting. At least it could be a baseline over companies whose policy is "we don't get hacked".
This person will be either a Gartner-reading FUD-gobbler, or some clueless government hack. Either way, real security will not be important. Appearances will be.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
Cybersecurity eh? How about RoboFed! He's like RoboCop, but with incredible form filing powers...
Human or otherwise, I expect this position will finally crack down on P2P terrorists and the like.
crazy dynamite monkey
Sorry to think this is nothing more than a headline, and another piece of evidence that the "War on Terror" is more about headlines than anything else. What ACTUALLY does this guy intent to do? "Securing borders", it might be slightly more effective to concentrate on intelligence programmes and having more arabic speakers than spending millions on an office that can do bugger all.
But then recruiting arabic speakers is hard, and never gets you the press coverage, its so much more important to be SEEN to be doing things than actually doing things.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
Of course!
Hexy - a strategy game for iPhone/iPod Touch
If the U.S. hadn't of gotten involved in the Soviet/Afghan war against communism and THEN left behind bases controlled by the U.S. in the supposed Holy land... Bin Laden and the supposed alQaeda would have never gotten their start because the presence of these bases were thier main bitch.
Also, the last time I checked, the citizens still had indirect control over who is the "government". If you don't like it then put more effort and analysis into who you vote for next time around.
Offtopic? The government tends to screw up most things it touches and the idea that it wants to grope the net even more than it already does is slightly annoying/disturbing - especially from the department of homeland security!
"We must censor the internet or else the terrorists will crash a web server into the White House! Think of the children on tours!"
Hexy - a strategy game for iPhone/iPod Touch
Apply Homeland Security Administration Dept of Buzzwording. Security Clearance not required.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
You'll be the nation's head of cybersecurity, but it'll still say "Assistant Secretary" on your resume.
They can't even keep their own web site running!
How am I supposed to fit a pithy, relevant quote into 120 characters?
"Cyber" is derived from the Greek word for "pilot", or "controller". Norbert Wiener introduced the term into English when he started talking about "Cybernetics" - which was his term for complex feedback control systems (Cyber. Control systems. Kinda makes sense, huh?). How we morphed from Wiener's original usage to the current fad for prefixing "Cyber" onto some random word in order to make it seem computer-related (not even control-related!) is beyond me. Although I'm sure William Gibson deserves a pretty large portion of the blame.
Well, there's always the substantial aftermarket for ex-government employees. Typically, they have a score of inside contacts, a government pedigree and difficult to obtain security clearances that all increase the earning power of any person on the consulting market.
So there is some incentive to working in the government.
I'd also suggest that there still exist a number of people in the federal government who are there to actually serve the country instead of simply being employed by it.
:::: the insomniac's digest
This from a department who's failed every single one of their own security audits?
I feel safer already.
Today in computer security news, Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that the new Director of Cybersecurity will be Jeff McFadden, former president and CEO of the Claria Corporation. Citing Claria's extensive presence at the forefront of the cyber security wars raging across the Internet, Chertoff said he couldn't think of another candidate better suited to the job.
I'm not tense. I'm just terribly, terribly, alert.
And who else to take up this position than the out-of-work creator of the Internet - AL GORE! He would know the most about cybersecurity, having created the Internet, right?
If you did hire someone, would you only respect them if they did something other than what you asked them to do? See, because then they wouldn't be a puppet, right
Depends on presentation. If said person showed me I was doing something wrong, and offered a better way I'd be happy. Their job is more efficient, mine is easier... works great. The difference is in agenda. The current agenda of the government often seems contrary to the needs or well-being of its citizens, but the purpose of the government is to meet the needs of said citizens. Thus, when government creates a position which under the mystique works against the citizens, it is working against the purposet of the position.
It is the fact that the government itself is corrupt to the point where they directly oppose the purpose of their own creation that puppets origate.
He should be back online in a few minutes, she's not that good.
Is that you have accepted the existence of the DHS at all.
What he can't kill, he has sex on. Trent.
We're CITIZENS, not customers! This is something that our current government seems to forget these days. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing, though, imagine the competition -- you don't like your vendor (Gov't), choose another one! Also, think about what service-level-agreements would be like -- imagine not having to pay taxes for this year, because your level of service wasn't up to snuff!
That's what I'm talking about!
Zhrodague.net - I do projects and stuff too.
Spaceballs... Watch out, 'cause we're the Spaceballs! http://members.aol.com/houdini994/index6.html/
Insert mandatory NetForce reference here.
Of course, this is Homeland Security, and NetForce is supposed to be FBI and later DoD.
Probably a former employee of Claria Networks I'm sure :-/
"Worker bees can leave
Even drones can fly away
The Queen is their slave."
The current head of cybersecurity is a lawyer and TV producer. But he's a placeholder.
The new guy will probably be from Microsoft.
The new head of DHS, Chertoff, actually has more of a clue than his predecessor, and he's getting flak for it. Chertoff has been saying that we need to focus on ways somebody can kill thousands of people, and not waste effort on lower-priority threats like ordinary suicide bombers. This is unpopular politically. It means doing hard things like incoming freight container and truck inspection, instead of silly stuff like the "no fly list".
Or email. Surely they've seen my resume' on Monster.com...
DHS already takes security seriously (/obvious), but bureaucracy makes compliance and documentation very tedious. Combine that with some VERY aggressive schedules, and the result should be obvious. The situation is usually made even more complex by the introduction of multiple contractors and subcontractors to perform the work, often at cross-purposes. I know these problems are not specific to DHS, but they are certainly very evident there.
To the subject of TFA; from what I see of the DHS structure it should be useful to have someone to speak for infosec as something other than a means to an end. Cybersecurity is a goal, not just a tool. I hope the new Assistant Secretary is strong-willed and vocal, we need it. DHS has had a VERY high turnover rate in their IT management structure. We could use someone with a clear vision of what is needed.
DHS has had a "cybersecurity" chief for years. The first one, Richard Clarke (with years of counterterrorism experience in successive White Houses), quit in disgust after his work and warnings were ignored. His successor, Amit Yoran left Symantec's security division for DHS, then quit in disgust after his work and warnings were ignored. Every cybersecurity czar has quit in disgust, saying the job was impossible. Now we've got a new guy, in a newly "tweaked" position, to be the cybersecurity czar. Stewart Baker was the NSA lawyer who championed the Clipper Chip, key escrow, and the "trust the government" approach to info security - while attacking crypto like PGP as a threat to national security.
Somehow, I don't feel any safer with failed spook lawyers taking over from the counterterrorism and cybersecurity professionals.
--
make install -not war