Cyberattacks Reanimate CISPA, Spark Move by Obama

Thank you Europium.

.

I was about to comment on CISPA, but your comment has made the point (probably better than mine would have).

.

Everyone, please take a moment to read an consider the previous comment.

I can't imagine how someone could think CISPA's intent is to protect the people.

They threaten a cyber 911 to get their legislation passed, but all they need to do is bring down Facebook for a few days, and they will have all the public outcry they need to get their erosive legislation passed and another ten years of war to boot.

If this is not for Americans' protection, then for whose protection is it? Theirs? Why would they think they needed protection from their American citizens? They don't need it now. Do they anticipate needing it at some point in future? Why would they anticipate needing it? Possibly because of something they are planning? Some future action which they know will be so abhorrent to American citizens as to need protection from them? Is it why they are building all of this? Paving the way for tyranny? I cannot help but wonder. This does not look as if it is about America's security at all, but about theirs. What if they already regarded ordinary American citizens as their enemy? If they did, would they do anything differently so long as they could maintain the illusion that all these measures are for Americans' protection, to fool Americans into believing it is for their own safety? If this were so, would they go about it any differently? They are building this in secret. When you do things in secret, it is because you know that what you are doing is wrong and so you keep it hidden from those who would hold you to account, or you are ashamed of what you are doing, or both.

If these measures are good for Americans and America, why do they all smell like spoilt fish? Why are Americans not asking more questions about all of this? Hard questions? Deep questions? Where is all of this leading? Ask these questions while you still can.

While I generally agree with your point, there are a few arguments that simply do not hold water for support of your claims:

1. "When you do things in secret, it is because you know that what you are doing is wrong and so you keep it hidden from those who would hold you to account, or you are ashamed of what you are doing, or both."

This is a fallacy because many times projects conducted under the shroud of secrecy are done that way so as to not give away state secrets to foreign powers. There are endless legitimate examples of this. For example, your bank account information is something you hold secret, therefore, one can not assume that just because something is performed in secret it is necessarily evil nor shameful.

2. "If these measures are good for Americans and America, why do they all smell like spoilt fish?"

There could be any reason for the foul smell. Remember, rhetoric and disinformation flies both ways. It could smell bad because opposition choses to cast it in that light. Again, there are endless examples of this in our own media. Because something smells bad does not mean that it is so.

I wonder if there is a special pen company just for executive orders? Probably a lucrative business.

Okay. You lost me. I know there is something there, and usually, AH, you have written something worth reading, but I am just not getting it this time.

.

Care to nudge me in the right direction?

Just an early morning joke about executive orders from the President of the United States.

Lately, the president has been issuing executive orders faster than someone with allergies goes through Kleenex.

I understand that executive orders have their place and this one may fit that need, but there is also a purpose for the legislative branch, which executive orders completely bypass.

I find it a little nerve wracking when executive orders impact the liberties of citizens without the due process they deserve in Congress.

Ok. Sorry, I think my coffee intake insufficient this morning.

All good points.

thanks for bringing me into the fold.

Ah, that means you can explain what I wrote to me. :)

sure....but I'll need one of those special pens to do it.

Dis-avowing Ink?

It's good to maintain vigilance, but is reckless and naive to make wild eyed accusations and suggest counter intelligence be carried out without a necessary veil of secrecy....These forces we guard against are a constant and growing threat to the security of your families and this country's economic well being.....Do you have any idea how many hacking attempts there are everyday...? Here's an except from a recent article on just one sector....

"

U.S. Nukes Face Up to 10 Million Cyber Attacks Daily

The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration says America's nuclear weapons face a massive number of cyber attacks every day, and are calling for a budget increase in order to enhance security.

By JASON KOEBLER

March 20, 2012 RSS Feed Print

The computer systems of the agency in charge of America's nuclear weapons stockpile are "under constant attack" and face millions of hacking attempts daily, according to officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Thomas D'Agostino, head of the agency, says the agency faces cyber attacks from a "full spectrum" of hackers.

[Scientists With Nuclear Testing Experience Rapidly Dwindling]

"They're from other countries' [governments], but we also get fairly sophisticated non-state actors as well," he said. "The [nuclear] labs are under constant attack, the Department of Energy is under constant attack."

A spokesman for the agency says the Nuclear Security Enterprise experiences up to 10 million "security significant cyber security events" each day.

"Of the security significant events, less than one hundredth of a percent can be categorized as successful attacks against the Nuclear Security Enterprise computing infrastructure," the spokesman said-which puts the maximum number at about 1,000 daily.

The agency wants to beef up its cybersecurity budget from about $126 million in 2012 to about $155 million in 2013 and has developed an "incident response center" responsible for identifying and mitigating cyber security attacks.

In April of last year, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory was successfully hacked and several megabytes of data were stolen, D'Agostino said. Internet access for workers at the lab was disconnected following the breach."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/03/20/us-nukes-face-up-to-10-million-cyber-attacks-daily

This is war,,,,cyber war....Who's side are you on?

Solar Eagle: "This is war,,,,cyber war....Who's side are you on?"

This discussion is about accountability, responsible oversight and ensuring that, in its zeal to counter these attacks, the government acts in a manner that best safeguards the liberties, interests and security of the governed, and at all times. That is government's purpose, is it not? And without oversight and accountability, how would this even be possible? Are we so lacking in lessons from History that where such were missing, governments inevitably evolve into tyrranies? Is 8,000 years' lessons not enough? Or is this really a case of That Can't Happen Here?

What is this "Who's side are you on?" crap? Where did that come from? Are you suggesting that keeping a government accountable is equivalent to treason? Isn't that what 'whose side are you on?' means? You're imputing treason?

You're kidding, right?

It was a rhetorical question....You can't give people a job to do and then tie their hands behind their back and expect them to be effective at it....How would you suggest these threats be neutralized? and while I'm at it, the government has always had access to your personal information and had the ability to track your movements, the internet has not changed that, just made the process more efficient....Let me know when you see a tyrannical despot taking control of the world and I'll be right there with ya, shoulder to shoulder, because that's pretty much what we're doing now.....Would you send your troops into battle with no intelligence at all, saying I would give you the information you need to succeed, but you might use it against your own side?...Now don't get me wrong a little paranoia is a good thing, but too much and you become ineffective...

And no one is more paranoid than government.

SE, You're reading an awful lot into my posts which simply isn't there and brushing aside what is. Why?

"Who's side are you on?"

The people's.

However, only a fool hands over all of their liberties and rights to some other organization or person.

'....

U.S. Nukes Face Up to 10 Million Cyber Attacks Daily

The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration says America's nuclear weapons face a massive number of cyber attacks every day....'

.

Nukes under daily attack! WFT! Why are the nukes made vulnerable to web attacks!

.

.oh...

.

.oh... I see. That was just an outright lie flagrant sensationalism a bit of hyperbole. The nukes aren't being attacked. The organization that oversees the stockpiles of nukes is having its servers cyber attacked daily.

.

oh. that's different.

.

Doesn't the fact that this agency felt the need to resort to lying ... grossly misleading claims...(oh yeah) hyperbole make you the least bit suspicious? Are you not the least bit concerned that these are the same signs one might see if it was common practice to lead the public around by its (reactionary) nose?

While it is obviously not proof of such, if does create some ambiguity.... surely you won't be in denial of that point, will you?

.

.

At any rate I think it is an excellent idea that computers and employees (at work) working on projects with significant national security implications not be directly accessible by the internet.