Pentagon Cyber-Command In the Works

An anonymous reader sends word of a new cybersecurity project to defend US networks from attacks and strengthen the government's "offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare." Right now, the most likely candidate to lead the project is the Director of the NSA, Keith Alexander, who was quick to assert that the NSA itself wouldn't try to run the whole show (something they've been criticized for in the past). Quoting the Wall Street Journal: "Cyber defense is the Department of Homeland Security's responsibility, so the command would be charged with assisting that department's defense efforts. The relationship would be similar to the way Northern Command supports Homeland Security with rescue capabilities in natural disasters. The NSA, where much of the government's cybersecurity expertise is housed, established a similar relationship with Homeland Security through a cybersecurity initiative that the Bush administration began in its final year."

Comments

1995 called...

[EveryNickIsTaken]

It wants its buzzword back. Please stop using "Cyber-". Thank you.

Re:1995 called...

[notarockstar1979]

I like that word. It reminds me of my first girlfriend....a cute young girl from Idaho with a husky, manly voice named Jim. YES I'M SURE IT WAS A WOMAN! STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!!

Call it whatever you want

[mc1138]

I'm just glad they're finally taking this sort of shit seriously. With plans for fighter jets being stolen by hackers making front page news, reports that the pentagon spends boat loads of money at reactive threat defense, our [insert computer buzz word]-security at a national level is severely lacking. Even movies like transformers seem to think that the best hackers are still fat dudes living with their grandparents and no one at any national department is capable of anything.

Re:Call it whatever you want

[vlm]

I'm just glad they're finally taking this sort of shit seriously.

Very humorously ironic post.

The whole cyber command thing bugs me because its so expensive but does so little. I'm sure they'll have a huge command of generals and various other officers giving each other endless powerpoints about "synergisticly proactively defending the cyber battlefield". Trust me, no patches are going to get applied. Mostly a bunch of resume stuffing for the post-military career. Probably a lot of puzzling over how it could be that the more managers they put on the job, the slower the work gets done. Probably a lot of really pompous posing going on too, I'm leet, so leet, its classified and I can't tell you how leet I am, but trust me I'm just the most leet ever. And a lot of "I'm working so hard that you wouldn't believe it, but its all classified so I can't actually tell you what I'm working on" as he returns to his minesweeper game. I guarantee they'll have a vaguely NORAD like NOC 24x7 with dim lights and big screen TVs, with very expensive software to monitor ... their departmental intranet, and maybe they'll have isc.sans.org on refresh every 30 seconds to see whats going on, maybe, but that would probably be too clueful.

All they need to do, is get more admins, more equipment, and tell them to keep up with the times, read slashdot, whatever. The last thing they need is infinitely more commanders and procedures to gum up the works even worse.

Re:Call it whatever you want

[El Torico]

They're going to have to classify your post. It's way too accurate.

NSA has an inherent conflict of interest.

[robkill]

When a group that exploits a communication network system for information is also in charge of its security, what happens when a weakness is found? Do you:

A) Keep the weakness secret so you can exploit it.
B) Publish the fix so your networks are fixed, but also allowing those you may be monitoring to fix as well, and cut off an information source.

Bruce Schneier has a great commentary on this at his blog.

Other bids

[Mendoksou]

The other top contenders for the project is Cyberdyne Systems and a man calling himself "The Architect."

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Cyber Security is a job for the Airforce

[z80kid]

Umm, why is it a job for the Air Force...

Because we don't have a Tube Force?

Yes, Please

[BigBlueOx]

Yes, please take another huge gob of my money to fund yet another huge government bureaucracy in order to fund the closing of the barn door now that the horse has run out.

Re:No it doesn't

[DrgnDancer]

Oh sure, just make stuff up. If it sounds paranoid enough, maybe some will mod you up. I've been an admin on two different DOD networks now, and in both cases I knew exactly who had full privileged access. In neither case was I even expected to provide our privileged passwords to higher headquarters, much less the NSA. could the NSA have GOTTEN the passwords to our systems? I'm sure, if they went through the proper channels and proved "need to know", but that's hardly the same thing thing as having "full privs on all DOD systems".