Big Brother Is Reading Your Email

There's no question that our computer networks are under attack by unscrupulous hackers as well as some state-sponsored sources. The question is, to what extent should we let the government drive the solution?

The U.S. government has been monitoring cyberattacks on U.S. systems under a program with the moniker Byzantine Hades. It has tracked, among other threats, continuing operations from China against U.S. computer systems, according to former intelligence officials. They say the program has discovered what appear to be efforts from China to collect information on specific types of U.S. military programs, such as "quiet drive" technology that helps submarines evade detection. Some U.S. officials believe such espionage is connected to the Chinese government.

Homeland Security counted 37,258 attacks on government and private networks last year, compared with 4,095 in 2005, the first year it started counting standardized data.

The administration's plan is to reduce points of access between the Internet and the government and to use sensors to detect intrusions displaying potentially nefarious patterns, said former top intelligence officials. The program would first be used on government networks and then adapted to private networks. Former officials said the final price tag is approaching an estimated $30 billion over seven years, including a 2009 infusion of around $6 billion, though those numbers could change significantly as the plan develops.

Access to private networks will be a major sticking point because intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, are to play prominent roles.

"We need to be very careful," Mr. Chertoff said. "There is a lot of thought being given to: How do you organize this in a way that protects an incredibly valuable asset in the United States but does it in a way that doesn't alarm reasonable people, and I underline reasonable people, in terms of civil liberties?"

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, wants the administration to put the program on hold until it can answer congressional concerns. "We don't want to unconstitutionally infringe on the rights of private business under the guise of this new program," Mr. Thompson said.

He said he was particularly irked to learn that Mr. Bush had signed a classified directive that outlines how the White House proposes to bolster security of government networks weeks ago but "has refused to share [the directive] with Congress."

Did I mention how Bush believes that Congress is irrelevant? I'm confused. Is this how Congress usually deals with a lame duck president?

Comments

[Grandjester]

Obviously DHS Secretary Skeletor has never watched Battlestar Galatica. If it MUST be secure, don't put it on a frakking NETWORK!

[James]

If Congress won't stand up for itself it IS irrelevent, simple as that.

As for Chertoff's smartass comment about "reasonable people," I feel pretty secure in pointing out that there is an ancient tradition of governments abusing their authority and of government agents using their position of trust to acquire information for private gain. Statistically speaking, you are far more likely to meet a corrupt cop than you are a terrorist.

[Raymond Lee]

It's an August 2007 article but an example that this indeed a world-wide problem, involving people at the highest level.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2332130.ece

Regards...

[MB]

Ah, Mr. Chertoff and his "(underline) reasonable people." Presumably they are the people that didn't need to "grow up" to accept his new border controls, nor are they "illegal aliens, criminals, and terrorists" who oppose the Real ID scheme.

~

This program sounds like the one referenced in the recent New Yorker interview with DNI McConnell.