Hey, You Know What We Really Need?
Another freakin’ “Czar”
President Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a “cyber czar,” a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation’s government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan.
The adviser will have the most comprehensive mandate granted to such an official to date and will probably be a member of the National Security Council but will report to the national security adviser as well as the senior White House economic adviser, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are not final.
Oh hooray. More heavy-handed government intrusion in our freedoms; what could possibly go wrong?
The report suggests that although it is a key government responsibility to help secure private-sector networks, regulation should be the last resort, the sources said.
Since when is it a “key” government responsibility to help secure private-sector networks?
Nanny State | tree hugging sister | 
May 26, 2009 8:01 am
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Since when is it a “key” government responsibility to help secure private-sector networks?
It’s not, AFAIK. But I’m sure that Obama would love it to be.
UPDATE: I got that wrong. Big time.
Although “responsibility” is not the word I would use in this context. “Authoritarian” is more like it.
Jeff-I think Morrissey, along with a lot of people, has misread section 14. Not that the passage as written would be a good thing.
Reading that section as a former network manager, it seems to me that what it really does is demand that any private networks that are deemed to be used by “critical infrastructure” must disclose detailed information about the architecture and configuration of the network itself, not the data that travels over it. This would supposedly help government experts assist the private company with securing their network and in case of attack on or from that network, the government would know the layout of the network, sort of like a SWAT team having the layout to a building where hostages are being held.
That sounds reasonable, but if I was one of those network managers I would be horrified. That’s pretty closely held information, now you want me to give it to the government? The way the bill is currently written the government could demand specific router/firewall configs and even passwords. Basically they could demand the keys to the kingdom and the network managers would have to hope that both the government intent is benign and they are competent enough to keep the info secure.
The Cybersecurity Act of 2009, as it’s currently written, is a bad bill for a number of reasons. I don’t think it’s a violation of the fourth amendment, but it could provide the means for the government to do just that.
Oh, and the bill is so sloppily written that “critical infrastructure” is whatever the president decides. As written, Obama could decide that any telco or ISP is “critical infrastructure” and demand they lay their network bare to the government. There’s nothing in the bill to stop him.
“Basically they could demand the keys to the kingdom and the network managers would have to hope that both the government intent is benign and they are competent enough to keep the info secure.”
Dave, those are precisely the points that causes the 4th Amendment worries. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that giving the government the authority to enter into any private domain (physical or electronic) without good cause or even a courtesy call ignores the Constitution. Privacy is privacy, whether it been in your home, office, or running along fiber optics between servers.
The fact that I wouldn’t trust Uncle Sugar with my own personal information (for very good reasons) is but icing on the cake.
“Oh, and the bill is so sloppily written that “critical infrastructure” is whatever the president decides. “
Which means that a private home network could be declared “critical infrastructure”. Far fetched, perhaps, but still possible; I’ve seen government lawyers dream up some astounding fantasies. Which brings up the 4th Amendment again.
There’s no proof that Obama would go that far. But his behavior thus far sure isn’t reassuring.
I agree, Jeff. I’m just saying that there’s a distinction between outright abuse of the 4th Amendment, which some people are arguing, and setting the conditions for that potential abuse. The risk is in over-arguing the immediate danger and then getting discredited. I think it’s a bad bill as written and should be fought on its real and obvious drawbacks. I realize that may not register well with the general public though, and the MSM sure can’t be counted on to explain the issue. Maybe hyperbole is the only effective tactic now. Which, you know, pretty much sucks.
I see the problem as being that any legislation opening this sort of door was passed in the first place. Clinton tried something like this with his “government backdoor”, and it was blown out of the water. Now, not so much as a real peep.
It’s a slippery slope we’re riding on. But Obama didn’t start the ride; I can’t say for sure, but the McCain-Feingold campaign law was the first major twitch I saw in this direction. But the trend started long ago.
I think there was a piece somewhere recently noting that Obama has now appointed more “czars” than there were in the entire Romanov dynasty.
The only problem is:The people in the government are about ten years behind hackers or 14 year-old
computer freaks.There are 14 year-old hackers who
can outsmart any government computer expert.The
answer is to give those 14 year-old hackers a sense
of Americanism.We need to inspire the youth of
America so they don’t become Jihad freaks,for they
have the ability to destroy the system.They are
light-years better than the East Indian replacements
we have become accustomed to as experts.The East
Indians are just minor leaguers.
Just so, Dave J, and every one of those “czars” report directly to Obama, and do not need Congressional approval.
Talk about building a dynasty….
God, bless and keep the czars far away from us…