NSA Takes On West Point In Security Exercise

Wired is running a story about a recent security exercise in which the NSA attacked networks set up by various US military academies. The Army's network scored the highest, put together using Linux and FreeBSD by cadets at West Point. Quoting: "Even with a solid network design and passable software choices, there was an element of intuitiveness required to defend against the NSA, especially once it became clear the agency was using minor, and perhaps somewhat obvious, attacks to screen for sneakier, more serious ones. 'One of the challenges was when they see a scan, deciding if this is it, or if it's a cover,' says [instructor Eric] Dean. Spotting 'cover' attacks meant thinking like the NSA -- something Dean says the cadets did quite well. 'I was surprised at their creativity.' Legal limitations were a surprising obstacle to a realistic exercise. Ideally, the teams would be allowed to attack other schools' networks while also defending their own. But only the NSA, with its arsenal of waivers, loopholes, special authorizations (and heaven knows what else) is allowed to take down a U.S. network."

Comments

You have to understand

[WillRobinson]

Purchasing Open Source Tools that could automatically thwart these types of attacks is to expensive. They cost at least as much as a toilet seat, and we know from the news, that they have not been purchasing any toilet seats.

Re:Fantastic

[maxume]

Dumbledore?

Re:What's with the fearmongering?

[Anonymous Coward]

The NSA's mission is specifically to provide SIGINT

You mean those PhD mathematicians sit around all day hitting Control-C's?

Go Army

[Hasai]

Those West Pointers usually make pretty good officers. Or, at least they do after a few SFCs drag the new looie behind the barracks and beat all the West Point hogwash out of them.
];)

Re:Fantastic

[LurkerXD]

The USMA academy is some of the best of the best. Meaning, these guys have to be appointed by two state senators to even apply... That is why the kids that go there are the top 2% of the nation. I don't know...my sister makes me wonder about what the hell our tax dollars are financing...

Heaven forbidden

[RealGrouchy]

But only the NSA, with its arsenal of waivers, loopholes, special authorizations (and heaven knows what else)... No, Heaven doesn't have the security clearance to access that information.

- RG>