(((You might wanna file this away in case you wake up
one morning and there's a blue screen of death where
your Internet used to be.)))
TOP OF THE NEWS
–GAO: DHS Not Prepared for Major Cyber Security Event
(28 July 2006)
According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the US is not adequately prepared to deal with a major failure of the Internet.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been given the task of "coordinating cyberspace security and recovery," but the GAO's report indicates "the initiatives so far lack authority and the relationship between the initiatives is unclear."
Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) chastised the DHS for being late in submitting testimony for a senate subcommittee hearing and for spending "millions of dollars over the past year" with little to show for it. Coburn was also displeased that DHS "released the national infrastructure protection plan three years late and [has] not hired an assistant secretary in charge of cyber security and Internet recovery." (((Who on earth would take that job?)))
The GAO's report identifies the challenges faced in creating an Internet recovery plan, including "leadership and organizational uncertainties within DHS, the private sector's reluctance to share information and the nature of the Internet itself."
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34657&printerfriendlyVers=1&
http://www.fcw.com/article95466-07-28-06-Web
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/41519-1.html?topic=security
http://news.com.com/2102-7348_3-6099753.html?tag=st.util.print
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06863t.pdf
[Editor's Note (Ranum): DHS was given a charter with no enforcement powers, (((yep))) over a problem for which they lack the skills. (((yep))) The fact that they are hopelessly helpless shouldn't surprise anyone.] (((The surprise comes when the whole shebang just goes kaboom.)))
