Anybody here remember the Stuxnet computer malware? That was the one that pretty nearly put Iran out of the nuclear warfare business for a time when one of its mean little computer worms bollixed Iran’s nuclear enrichment plants.
Well, Stuxnet is old stuff now. There are much more powerful programs that could paralyze any large-scale industry, utility, transportation system, police agency or government function that relies on computer control — and can you think of any of those entities that don’t?
We could do that to any enemy in a hot minute. But the flip side of that is that almost any enemy could do it to us, for we have no monopoly on computer talent. There is only one thing that could protect us against a sudden cyber attack. That is an effective and continually updated cybersecurity system.
Unfortunately, we don’t have one. We could have had it. There was a bill in Congress that would have gone a long way toward achieving that goal, but our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce bleated about the amount of tax money it would take to finance it. Leave it to voluntary action by business itself, they said, as though there were any chance that voluntary spending on something that didn’t turn an immediate cash profit would work, and the Republican bloc in Congress took up their cause. They couldn’t defeat the bill if it came to a vote because it was obviously meeting a real and urgent threat. So they filibustered it to death
So here’s to the Greedy Old Party, always ready to put profits ahead of patriotism.
They do a great job for their masters, that top 1%. But can any one tell me a reason why anyone earning less than, say, half a million dollars a year should vote for them?
Michael Burgun says:
To be fair here though you should note that the only worldwide evidence of state sponsored malware that has been analysed has been found to originate in the USA and Israel …
November 4, 2012, 8:13 pmSevesteen says:
Another aspect of the cybersecurity bill (or at least the version I read about) gave Government quite a bit of control of private networks deemed ‘essential’, and without much to stop them from deeming just about anything essential. I would want to see some safeguards to prevent the same sort of government misuse as has happened with the Patriot act, where the powers it grants have been used almost entirely for purposes other than terrorism.
November 4, 2012, 8:48 pmKen Marable says:
In the link about the bill, let me apologize for Rep. Mike Rogers. He’s from my district and some o fus have been trying to get him out for years. Unfortunately, he is blatantly in the pocket of any big corporation who will take him, so between having a large campaign fund, momentum of incumbency, and a convoluted districting map that pairs Democrat leaning towns with larger Republican-leaning cities, this guy is stuck and happy to keep getting re-elected to pocket more corporate money. I know he is not the only one, but every time I see him in the news, I can’t stomach the fact that he “represents” me. So, as someone who Mike Rogers allegedly represents, I am sorry.
November 4, 2012, 8:58 pmKris says:
Here’s to the Democrats, firm believers in “Patronage over Patriotism”! For Obama sacrificing the Americans in Benghazi for his lack of action, for handing jobs to cronies and businesses who donated to his campaign and especially the Unions, who gained the President they wanted, putting the patronage into action!
November 4, 2012, 10:46 pmIf you want a Union puppet in office, then by all means, vote Obama. If you want freedom, then vote someone else. Doesn’t have to be Romney… the Greens would be a good choice.
Chuck says:
From the following link: “I still think it should have failed for failing to explain why it was actually needed.” http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120802/10251419917/cybersecurity-act-rejected-senate.shtml And more there on the subject: http://www.techdirt.com/blog/?tag=cybersecurity
November 4, 2012, 11:03 pmJohn says:
While protecting computer systems and networks is a good idea, the bill in question was horrible in many respects.
November 9, 2012, 5:16 pm