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US To Create the Independent US Cyber Command, Split Off From NSA (pbs.org)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from PBS: After months of delay, the Trump administration is finalizing plans to revamp the nation's military command for defensive and offensive cyber operations in hopes of intensifying America's ability to wage cyberwar against the Islamic State group and other foes, according to U.S. officials. Under the plans, U.S. Cyber Command would eventually be split off from the intelligence-focused National Security Agency. The goal, they said, is to give U.S. Cyber Command more autonomy, freeing it from any constraints that stem from working alongside the NSA, which is responsible for monitoring and collecting telephone, internet and other intelligence data from around the world -- a responsibility that can sometimes clash with military operations against enemy forces. Making cyber an independent military command will put the fight in digital space on the same footing as more traditional realms of battle on land, in the air, at sea and in space. The move reflects the escalating threat of cyberattacks and intrusions from other nation states, terrorist groups and hackers, and comes as the U.S. faces ever-widening fears about Russian hacking following Moscow's efforts to meddle in the 2016 American election.
This was actually something that was started at the end of last year by Obama, and has been needed for a very long time. It has just taken this long for the meetings and paperwork to be completed.
Russian language skills definitely a plus.
You are welcome on my lawn.
The goal, they said, is to give U.S. Cyber Command more autonomy, freeing it from any constraints that stem from working alongside the NSA...
[sarcasm] Great... A government agency with less accountability than the NSA. Just what we all needed more of. [/sarcasm]
Well, the head of the NSA refused to pledge loyalty to our current President, so...
#DeleteChrome
Found the Putin shill.
While I completely disagree with the guy, I seriously do appreciate that he posted his opinion under his Slashdot username. There's way too much anonymous shilling (from all sides) happening on Slashdot nowadays.
#DeleteChrome
Do you have a reason to distrust all of our intelligence services?
"Widely debunked" by whom? We know the Russians did manage to break into some election systems in some states. We know that artfully timed email leaks probably had a significant effect on the election results, and we've seen the Russians trying similar stunts with recent European elections.
Just claiming "it's debunked" doesn't make the claims of Russian interference false. All it says is that you have willfully bought into a false narrative, and I'd be curious as to why you have bought into that narrative, considering we now know of at least three recent elections where the Russians were intentionally trying to give their preferred candidate the advantage.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
AC the "Julian Assange: 'A lot more material' coming on US elections" (July 27, 2016)
""Perhaps one day the source or sources will step forward and that might be an interesting moment some people may have egg on their faces. But to exclude certain actors is to make it easier to find out who our sources are,""
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new... (15 December 2016)
"they were handed over to him at a D.C. park by an intermediary for 'disgusted' Democratic whistleblowers"
AC its more like the Pentagon Papers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... all over again. US domestic politics.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Well, the head of the NSA refused to pledge loyalty to our current President, so...
Which is a good thing, in the US no-one ever pledges loyalty to any individual. They might make a pledge to uphold the Constitution, but as far as I can tell the current President is the first to need personal loyalty from his officeholders.
It means there are some things even the NSA will not do.
So they want a new group combining the tech skills of the NSA with the morals of the CIA.
Usually the question goes the other way: do you have a reason to *trust* them. Anyhow, there are a few things that make me question them, yes.
They've helped destabilize or backed coups in Iran, Guatemala, North Vietnam, Hungary, Laos, Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Zaire, Brazil, Indonesia, Greece, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Afghanistan, and probably other places. They've run operations like Operation Mockingbird, they helped with Watergate, etc.
The current operation is about like the lies over the WMD. Secret evidence, tons of stories with nothing in them but anonymous quotes.
And even the ODNI report you allude to is getting inflated. It merely said that hacking the election was something Russia might like to do, it didn't give any actual evidence if you read the damned thing. But what the heck does the Coast Guard know about this, anyhow? Oh, right, you probably didn't know who the members of that were. Or that the people who signed this report were just a couple of political appointees.
Same way you guys probably never read the Trend Micro report which everyone talked about and I think only Ars actually bothered to link to.
But sure, please feel free to show me the 'mountain of evidence' of CNN/WaPo stories that all cite each other, anonymous/secret sources, or the ODNI, Crowdstrike or Trend Micro reports that have jack all in them but an old copy of P.A.S. freeware and some Tor exit nodes. But hey, that Advanced Persistent Threat Fancy Bear is everywhere.
The word "treason" is not useful in this context.
No United States citizen is declaring war on the United States. The last time that happened was the Civil War.
The United States does not have a list of enemies. The last time that happened was WWII.
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U.S. Constitution Article III Section 3.
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort . No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.