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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 .
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?!
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
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
"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.
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!
American government department bosses are called secretaries, which leads many non-Americans to wonder if all they do is sit and answer the phone. Non-American government department bosses are called ministers, which leads many Americans to wonder why foreign governments seem to all be run by clergy.
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
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?
Yes the whole system is quite confusing. I suggest we adopt the following system.
The assistant to the government boss can be called an Earl. His boss will be a duke. The leader of the nation shall be called King, who will be served by His Grand Viziers, drawn from the Dukes who have been most loyal, or who have helped keep the King in power.
Naturally after some time, his son the Prince can take over when the King mucst step down - though there may be a short term of unpleasentness as the Regent governs for a period.
- sarcasm is just one more service we offer -
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.
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
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.
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.
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.