EXACTLY. Not just this guy, but a contracting firm (BAH) in general? How did they get that bid?
Is this a joke? Much of the Top Secret work performed for the government is done by private companies under contract with full clearances.
If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
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Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#12EXACTLY. Not just this guy, but a contracting firm (BAH) in general? How did they get that bid?
Agreed. Why isn't anyone talking about the contractor?
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#13And so it begins, the assault on Snowden, his character, his qualifications, etc.
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Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#14I'm not sure that the author understands what a sysadmin is. Even a junior sysadmin could cripple most services based on their level of access.
More security conscientious setups use things like automatic password vaults requiring multiple admins to access. Sysadmin also doesn't mean defacto data access without forcing them to patch the software maliciously (you don't want your admins accidentally or intentionally accessing data covered under HIPAA!)
Which isn't to say you're incorrect when you say how much damage a junior sysadmin could do in most places. It is to say that there are options that make this kind of thing a lot harder, to limit the scope and damage rogue admins can cause, and to raise the bar in terms of knowledge required. One would hope the NSA would be employing some of them.
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#15The author is full of stupid snark. Clearly Snowden is an exceptional individual; learning that he used to be a janitor, or whatever, shouldn't cause us to throw away all the evidence we have about him and double-take "they promoted a janitor?".
Perhaps the quality of his work matched his obviously high character, regardless of his initial lack of formal credential. This is IT we're talking about - classes are a joke.
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#16But...but they're helping us secure our home networks! "The Information Assurance Directorate (IAD) at NSA recently released a new technical guide entitled Best Practices for Securing a Home Network." - http://www.nsa.gov/ia/index.shtml
ok...I will bite. TOR power initiate...7 proxies now!
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#17EXACTLY. Not just this guy, but a contracting firm (BAH) in general? How did they get that bid?
Is this a joke? Much of the Top Secret work performed for the government is done by private companies under contract with full clearances. i.e. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_Works
It's like capitalism gone mad, isn't it?
I believe the UK is heading in this direction as well. Thatcher started it, but it's really gone up a few notches since then.
It's a sorry state of affairs when the schools, the fire service, the police, the prisons, the hospitals, the soldiers of war, and even the spies are all controlled by for-profit corporations.
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#18Wrong Question. A better Question is :
If the Government trusted the NSA with our every phone call and email, why should we trust the Government?
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#19I'm not sure that the author understands what a sysadmin is. Even a junior sysadmin could cripple most services based on their level of access.
More security conscientious setups use things like automatic password vaults requiring multiple admins to access. Sysadmin also doesn't mean defacto data access without forcing them to patch the software maliciously (you don't want your admins accidentally or intentionally accessing data covered under HIPAA!) Which isn't to say you're incorrect when you say how much damage a junior sysadmin could do in most places. I…
One might hope the NSA audits their contractors' security, but I'm not sure I'd bet on it.
And somewhere along the way you have to accept that your most senior admins aren't always going to be the ones schlepping gear around, which means physical access.
I'm also not entirely convinced of the practicality of building a system where there isn't at least one person who can bypass everything, especially if they're prepared to go into exile as this guy was.
Given adequate resources, I'm sure it's possible, but there's gonna be a shitton of money and ridiculously careful planning involved. I expect the operational overhead to be similarly huge.
Re: If the NSA Trusted Edward Snowden With Our Data, Why Should We Trust the NSA?
#20But...but they're helping us secure our home networks! "The Information Assurance Directorate (IAD) at NSA recently released a new technical guide entitled Best Practices for Securing a Home Network." - http://www.nsa.gov/ia/index.shtml
ok...I will bite. TOR power initiate...7 proxies now!
OK..I am back from that link. The verbage was worse than sitting next to an insurance salesman before a flight.