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Who Would Want To Be Obama's Cybersecurity Czar?

Posted by Soulskill on from the fine-i'll-do-it dept.

dasButcher writes "President Obama is expected to name a new cybersecurity czar sometime soon. This person will be charged with defending the digital boards from attack by hostile nation-states and terrorist organizations. But the question Larry Walsh asks is: Who really wants the job? The previous three people who held the post barely made a dent in solving the security problems. Government bureaucracy and private sector resistance make it nearly impossible to find any measure of meaningful success in this job, he writes." Reader eatcajun contributes a related link to the long-awaited US cyberspace policy review.

19 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Stephen Conroy by Gandalf_Greyhame · · Score: 4, Funny

    We'll give you Stephen Conroy if you like.

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    I am not stubborn. I am right!
  2. Kevin Mitnick by Tehrasha · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...nuff said.

  3. is that anything like a Secretary of the Internet? by Xtifr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Obligatory XKCD link (five part story).

  4. RIAA Lawyers by GigsVT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Are there any RIAA lawyers left who don't yet have high level Obama positions?

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    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
  5. I paid my taxes by Wonko+the+Sane · · Score: 5, Funny

    so I guess I am ineligible even if I wanted the job.

    1. Re:I paid my taxes by Wonko+the+Sane · · Score: 3, Insightful

      How sad is it when we start to talk about a presidential administration in those terms?

      "Just think about all the hotels they didn't break in to."

      "Don't worry, there are plenty of terrorists that received no weapons in exchange for hostages."

      "At least he didn't let all of our soldiers get dragged through the streets of Mogadishu."

  6. Bruce . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . Schneier and Campbell . . .

    . . . Schneier can lecture us on, "What is Cybersecurity?" . . . Campbell can cut 'em up with chainsaws, and blow their brains out with his shotgun.

    How could we lose?

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  7. New military branch needed by religious+freak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We don't need a "czar", we need a new military branch. I am not aware of ANY real and lasting contribution any "czar" has ever made in the United States. The first drug czars came close... if you call that a contribution, but from everything I've seen, they're basically PR and cheerleaders, and don't have much authority or get much done.

    If we're serious... and I mean really serious... we need a branch of the military to do the heavy lifting. We don't need to start this in a big way, but we need the security infrastructure to build on should tensions begin rising with nation states. These guys would be the grunts doing the front line lifting and poking around while the NSA focuses it's talent on developing high level techniques. This is what we'd do if we got really serious.

    In my view, the position of czar is a joke. Czars are for 19th century Russia and have no place in a modern United States government.

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    If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
  8. Czar fetish by flyingfsck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What is up with this American love affair with old Russian titles?

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    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    1. Re:Czar fetish by BJ_Covert_Action · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, you see, we all have fond memories of playing with mamushka dolls when we were little and...I mean...come on... who honestly doesn't love those things?

      --
      Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
  9. Not really... by artor3 · · Score: 3, Informative

    These "czars" aren't new super-powerful positions being created by facists. They consist of pre-existing positions that have been given a catchy new title (drug czar instead of "head of the drug enforcement agency") and advisory roles (terrorism czar).

    The former already existed. You can't complain about there being a drug czar unless you believe that the DEA has too much power. Of course, they probably do... but that predates the nomenclature used for their leader. The so-called "war on drugs" (which Obama's drug czar want to stop) began a couple decades before that term came into use.

    The latter is simply an advisor to the president. They have no powers that the office of the president does not, nor can they overrule the president in any instance. The president would be taking advice from them anyway. All the title does is recognize that he's taking their advice.

    I know there are a lot of libertarians/anarchists on /., and that's why the "czar" thing always gets pointed at as proof that the *insert currently leading political party here* are a bunch of fascists. But when you actually look at what the "czars" do, you quickly realize that it's entirely in keeping with our democratic republic.

    1. Re:Not really... by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 3, Informative

      They don't have any of the constitutional powers of cabinet member, why would they have to be vetted by the senate? The president has the constitutional right to chose how, when or if at all to listen to cabinet members. In the end it's merely a slightly higher profile presidential aide.

  10. I pay my taxes every year, by argStyopa · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...so clearly I'm not qualified to be on Obama's cabinet.

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    -Styopa
  11. Re:A no win situation by thePowerOfGrayskull · · Score: 4, Informative

    Oh, stop. A Windows "backbone" can be made just as secure by a competent admin as a *nix "backbone" can.

  12. The answer is obvious by mqduck · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cowboy Neal.

    --
    Property is theft.
  13. Doesn't sound so bad actually... by iamdrscience · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd take this job in a second. The position has a track record of failure and thus, expectations are low. This is exactly the kind of job I'm looking for. If you succeed, you're a miracle worker, if you fail, nobody blames you, either way it's not bad. It looks even better when you add in the fact that the pay is good and you have an awesome title. I mean c'mon, you'd be a freaking czar, how many people can legitimately put "Czar" on their resume?

    1. Re:Doesn't sound so bad actually... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Funny

      In old country, we shoot Czars. Not to be wanting this, I think.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  14. Re:A no win situation by KahabutDieDrake · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think you forgot to include the punchline.

  15. Re:A no win situation by BlueParrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh, stop. A Windows "backbone" can be made just as secure by a competent admin as a *nix "backbone" can.

    And you CAN attach wheels to your tower and CRT, hooking it up to lead acid battery and dragging it along behind you, but it is just so much easier to get a laptop...