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What Silicon Valley Can Do For Homeland Security
An anonymous reader writes "Small, agile development firms are just what security in the United States needs, argues an article on Ars Technica. The piece compares the processes used in small Silicon Valley firms to those used in security contractors retained by the U.S. Government. Mr. Stokes' conclusion? The U.S. has a lot to learn from small companies." From the article: "Whether it's nuke detection technology at ports, computer automated wiretapping and data traffic snooping, or massive government data mining operations, our present approach to homeland security is embodied for me in those 14-foot pillars: ponderous, expensive technologies designed by government-funded teams of scientists who're working in vain to outmaneuver not just the terrorists, but the surging global market for technological innovation in which those terrorists thrive. By way of contrast, the Sandia group's DIY nuke detector represents an attempt to fight fire with fire by harnessing the same market forces and entrepreneurial spirit that terrorists have learned to use so effectively."
Uncle Sam's mother was the British Empire. Her reach covered over one quarter of the world's land area and population. She spawned corrupt, transnational corporations. Eventually, she became embroiled in petty wars over natural resources in areas which today are Afghanistan and Iraq.
So far, Uncle Sam has done a remarkable job of following in his mother's footsteps, even if he claims to hold a completely separate set of ideals.