![[Post to Twitter]](http://simon-jester.org/wp/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-micro3.png){kind=icon}
Cyber Security and YOU!
Posted by Prof | Filed under DisinformaFUN...Catch It!, Take A Stand, What They Really Mean Is..., What They're Not Telling You
Well, as I see it, this is another thing that, on the surface, makes sense to a majority of folks. After all, the .govs out there need to be protected in case of some kind of massive hack attempts by the Chinese, right? And all the bank files need to be safe don’t they? We do own them now anyway, right? But Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air gets it right when he says
Section 14 may be a bigger problem. It essentially revokes all privacy safeguards on Internet use for all networks. The Fourth Amendment would go straight out the window with the explicit inclusion of “private sector owned critical infrastructure information systems and networks.” While Section 18 limits jurisdiction to federal networks, Section 14 allows the government to go after private networks without search warrants. The section also doesn’t limit the jurisdiction to acute attacks, either. That jurisdiction exists at all times.
That’s right folks. This administration wants to be able to control, search, seize, or shut down private internet networks, like the one we have with our hosting company, or you have with yours, without so much as a hint of a thought of an actual warrant. Or, let’s just say you want to read about hydroponic farming because you, like us here at the Raffles, are under severe water restrictions. Your internet address, the server you used, the sites you visited, etc. might possibly be added to a database of people who are growing pot in their houses because obviously only criminals would need that kind of information according to Skippy the civil servant. Or maybe you want to buy ammo in bulk from an online ammo store, can we trust Skippy not to freak out because in his mind there is no reason for anyone to need to buy a thousand rounds of ammo at a time unless they were going to go all clock towery? In response, Skippy shits down the website, shuts down the hosting company that has that site on its servers (thereby shutting down thousands of that company’s other client sites), and puts your name on the list of folks who need to be ‘interviewed’. All in the name of national security, of course. And all without a warrant, possibly without even some supervisor giving the OK.
The bill is asking for “a cadre of information technology specialists” to do this work, so we have to assume that means civil servants and all that it entails. Low paid, disgruntled individuals who weren’t good enough to get an IT job with a private company, and their bosses who may not even know how the WWW works, let alone how to put together a search string on Google.
Now, one more thing…
How, if at all, does this bill (introduced on April 1) relate to the bill (introduced Jan 7) HR266, the Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2009?
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program to award grants to institutions of higher education for the establishment or expansion of cybersecurity professional development programs, and for other purposes.
Is this a way for the Fed to be able to grow their own little e-nerds and funnel cash to lib universities at the same time? Otherwise, why would it be under the Sec of HS instead of say, Education? If they do relate to each other, isn’t it odd that the oh-so-vaunted ‘transparency’ doesn’t seem to be in effect?
Like we’ve said folks, it isn’t just the Dems, it isn’t just this administration. It is the culture of D.C. They want subjects, not citizens. They want to be a huge Uncle Sam who has control, subtle for now, over every aspect of your lives that they can touch. Do Not Fall For This. The first bill will violate your First and Fourth amendment protected rights to free speech and due process. The second one, which was actually introduced first, will give them the drones to pursue the policy.
Thanks to Byron Wolfsong who originally emailed this subject to us while we were off enjoying our weekend stimulating the economy.
Help Support Simon-Jester.org!
April 5th, 2009
It’s under homeland security because they want to train people for that. Just like my time in Russia was half paid for by the DoD.
Of course, you’re right — they need their own little government nerds because real ones would never comply. Something they’ve discovered over the years. Geeks are far too free to do what the government wants.
April 6th, 2009
I’m not sure I agree with the government grown nerds statement. They already exist in various places, such as CERT teams and security teams in the military, and let’s not forget the NSA. They are already well armed with the resources that they need. Though having the funding from the DoHS is suspicious other than it is likely the source of the funding.
Ed Morrissey has the strongest point here, that you describe in better detail. The government likes nothing more than little files and if they have the freedom to force the private sector to fill out those little files against you and I we will most likely be the ones to suffer.
Consider the megaDatabase where your health records are mixed with you RealID and your TSA flight records and then your buying records. (or your most recent driving profile from the E-Zpass for where you drove today) Imagine the inventive ways the government clones will find to make associations between data sets that make end users into assumed criminals. Data is a wonderful thing if used responsibly and carefully, but as we’ve seen with the Obots, they use even the limited information available to smear people. (Joe-the-Plumber is a perfect example.)
This is a place for resistance.
April 6th, 2009
The whole information and online transaction system needs to be privatized, preferably offshore, a la Neal Stephenson’s “Cryptonomicon”. If you haven’t read it you really should.
I just wish I could think of a way to do it.
April 7th, 2009
[...] to be a presence on the http://WWW. Is this simply a local PD trying to get a jump on the proposed Cyber Security Act? Nope. What it seems to be instead is a vindicitive local PD tired of getting its dirty laundry [...]
May 14th, 2009
Huh, somehow I missed this post. I haven’t heard anything more on it, but it’s definitely one to watch. It alarmed me greatly when I learned of it, hence sending it to you. Thanks for posting it here.