Our Non-Existent National Security

[Pilgrim]

Considering the contents of the two articles cited below, the American people should be developing an elevated level of concern about our national security - I'm talking about our cyber-security, which appears to be virtually non-existent. The incident getting all the attention is the Sony hacking by a group of North Korean govt. agency which succeeded in blackmailing this company into halting the release of a 2d rate comedy unflattering to that country's ridiculous Dear Leader. Sony of course caved to the demands of these cyber-terrorists and in doing so has created a really bad precedent for the future of most any company or govt organization in the USA.

Apparently these hackers can wander in and out of so-called "secure" govt and business websites at will. The victimized businesses appear to be helpless with no idea what to do about these breaches. The US Govt policy under the hapless Obama administration seems to be taking a similar approach, offering empty threats and lip service to the backward regime of a primitive country that can't even feed its people or keep its lights on at night.

This should remind us of the terrorist attacks that preceded the Big One on 9/11; relatively small ones like the USS Cole or the US Embassy bombings that proved the laziness, complacency and lack of US will to retaliate against proven enemies. This largesse is even worse now under the current POTUS, who seems blithely unconcerned about all areas of our national security.

What happens when some group of Chinese or Iranian hackers launches a cyber attack on our banking system or shuts down the electrical grids simultaneously in several major American cities? They've already gotten into the Postal Service, key govt contractors, Target, and who knows what others that we don't even know about? It's bad enough having to worry about the security of our credit card information as we do our Christmas shopping online, without having to consider that in the near future our national banking, energy or transportation systems may be held hostage by some ragheads demanding information on nuclear weaponry.

Sony cancels 'The Interview' amid terror hack threats - AP News 12/17/2014 9:25 PM

Files of more than 40,000 federal workers breached - AP News 12/18/2014 4:19 PM

 

[skyraider]

We have nothing to worry about, The Berry Boys are in control....try calling one of our major government departments around 1730 eastern time---see who answers--its interesting..

 

[Pilgrim]

Wait until they hack the satellites used by the GPS systems that feed the golf course rangefinders upon which duffers like Obama depend. For an act of war like this we'd likely see drone strikes on PRNK if not all out thermonuclear attacks. After all, there are some atrocities that cannot be allowed to stand.

 

[Turtle]

I don't think Obama is "blithely unconcerned about all areas of our national security," but I do think he's absolutely clueless on what to do about it. Most politicians are. We've had 4 Cyber Security Czars since Bush, only one of whom knew what he was doing but quit less than a year after being appointed because he was underfunded, Bush didn't like his proposals which decentralized many cyber security procedures rather than have it all under a centralized NSA (see The Starfish and the Spider), and he was expected to let the NSA tell him how to do his job.

While there isn't a "Cyber Pearl Harbor" or a cyber war i any immediate future, the cyber security of the US is nevertheless a joke of virtual non-existence. Black Hat and other security hacking events have shown that to be incontrovertible.

 

[Unclebob]

I doubt any computerized nation is any more protected than we. I also doubt that will ever change. Attacking is always easier then defending when it comes to hacking.