Cyber Insecurity

So normally I wait a while to post on topics. Okay, I wait a long while before I post on anything. Well, today folks, today I go all knee-jerk-reactionary on you. I just read something that scared the living shit out of me. (Not literally, the living shit, because then I'd be in the bathroom cleaning up.) There is a new cyber bill that will be presented in the coming days to centralize both governmental and private sector cyber security.

LINK

Now on the surface it's not too horrible. The government centralizes their cyber security, which is actually a good idea. Everybody collaborating across services, sharing ideas and generally avoiding the standard Rice-bowling. I like that. It is good for America.

Now the flip side of this is the government monkeying their way into the private sector and "nationalizing" it. Nationalizing? What? Huh? That's good right? Oh, lord, it is not. Letting the government control what you see and how you see it is not a good idea. No, they don't say it now, but that could be one of the things the bill does. It could also be designed to invade your privacy to protect you from yourself. "Hey, we're going to forcibly scan your home computer to ensure you're not using dangerous stuff, or kiddie porn, or pirated software, or research on how to make pipe bombs, or bad words that defame the president. Don't worry. It's change."

Now you may think that I'm going a little overboard with what they really had in mind. "Oh warmonger! You're warmongering again you little tin-foil hat wearing nut-job!" Well, I'd think the same thing, if I didn't know what organization they were suggesting to spearhead this little project:

Last week, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told reporters that one agency should oversee cybersecurity for government and for the private sector. He added that the NSA should be central to the effort.

"The taxpayers of this country have spent enormous sums developing a world-class capability at the National Security Agency on cyber," he said.

Yep, that's right, No Such Agency, Spies like us. The primary purpose for this group is and has always been spying. I do not get warm and fuzzies when the group they plan on heading the private sector control wing to be America's spy wing. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. It's just the fourth amendment they wiped their ass with.