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Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

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Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#61

Post by TallGuyShort »

staccatomeasure wrote: post #53
TallGuyShort wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No - launching a nuke results in a thermonuclear explosion detectable from space - not just keystrokes on a computer. Keystrokes on a computer can be hidden, those mechanisms can be by-passed - and no satellite from space is going to detect all that and alert us to the problem in the reliable and impartial way that would be necessary.

My point was that even 1 unauthorized nuke is completely unacceptable and we have mechanisms to prevent it.

I see. I understand that a little more. I still disagree, however. There's a huge incentive for the government to keep those mechanisms working, and we'd all know it if they didn't. That's definitely not the case with the NSA. How will we know there isn't some secret backdoor?

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#63

Post by willurd »

narrator wrote: post #52

It's as if all the important decisions have already been made and they are just going through the motions.

Yeah. They are all reading from scripts. "This is something that we take looks down at script very seriously." Also, it appears that they were all privy to what each other was going to say before the hearing. "looks down at script As you said ..." Does that disturb anyone else?

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#64

Post by bilbo0s »

rdl wrote: post #60

I guess I intellectually knew, but didn't fully appreciate, just how old all of those people are. Working in Silicon Valley, I'm used to seeing 20-45 year olds in lots of useful roles. Everyone in that room seemed to be late-40s or older (the military people were the youngest).

Well...

No offense...

but I wouldn't want the younger crowd sitting around deciding when to launch a nuke.

It's fine to put us in charge of the "like" buttons, Farmville tractors, or a web pages like Yahoo or Facebook. But some things are a bit more important.

It's fine to have younger aids or advisers. Probably good to have youthful energy INFORM certain decisions. Not so sure it's a good idea, however, to have youthful energy MAKING certain decisions.

And I say that, I guess, as part of what's considered the "younger crowd".

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#65

Post by ismarc »

jsonne wrote: post #28
whiddershins wrote: post #19

Oh, this is awesome: Keith Alexander explaining how what we really should do is let the NSA have a database that stores absolutely everything, and then they promise only to search through it when it is "reasonable."

See, I'm personally of the same opinion. I couldn't figure it out, but then it hit me. It's the same line of logic that the military uses in their security clearances. Back in the day I used to work for a JAG lawyer, and have several friends that are/were in the military. So I do have some knowledge of the matter. The way they do things is this. There's clearance and then there's need to know. So for instance one of…

I was in the military, with a clearance. You describe it reasonably well. A clearance means you can have access, if needed. I am completely against collection of information as they are doing because of time. A warrant gives them access to data from all time. This is a departure from current warrants that allow them to collect and examine data starting now (or as far back as it was stored by external parties). It's the difference between getting a warrant to wiretap a phone and getting a warrant to listen to every phone call ever made with a phone. In my mind, a warrant says we have have reasonable suspicion to collect more information as it stands right now, not reasonable suspicion to examine past behavior. Then again, I believe that the U.S.'s definition of rights are great and should be extended to all humans by the U.S., not just citizens or those on U.S. soil.

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#66

Post by betterunix »

rdl wrote: post #60

I guess I intellectually knew, but didn't fully appreciate, just how old all of those people are. Working in Silicon Valley, I'm used to seeing 20-45 year olds in lots of useful roles. Everyone in that room seemed to be late-40s or older (the military people were the youngest).

A bit of life experience helps in governing a country. That being said, it is unfortunate that as people age, their minds tend to "solidify" and they have trouble understanding new things. The problem (which is evident over and over) is that Congress, while full of useful experience and wisdom accumulated with age, is also 20+ years behind the times on many issues.

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#68

Post by asperous »

whiddershins wrote: post #17

Keith Alexander is a true politician, regardless of his title. When asked a question "could these powers be used in this way" answered the question he wanted to answer "we only use the power in this way."

He also dodged the question "can you get Google contacts?" by rambling off. And then he apologized and said he was afraid he'd reveal something important and that he'd answer the question in a private non-public meeting.

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#69

Post by rdl »

betterunix wrote: post #66
rdl wrote: post #60

I guess I intellectually knew, but didn't fully appreciate, just how old all of those people are. Working in Silicon Valley, I'm used to seeing 20-45 year olds in lots of useful roles. Everyone in that room seemed to be late-40s or older (the military people were the youngest).

A bit of life experience helps in governing a country. That being said, it is unfortunate that as people age, their minds tend to "solidify" and they have trouble understanding new things. The problem (which is evident over and over) is that Congress, while full of useful experience and wisdom accumulated with age, is also 20+ years behind the times on many issues.

Most of the good IT/security people I know are in the 30s/40s. That seems fine for judgment; I just don't want all of our legislators in their 60s+.

Re: Live on C-SPAN now: NSA Chief Testifies at Cybersecurity Hearing

#70

Post by betterunix »

willurd wrote: post #63
narrator wrote: post #52

It's as if all the important decisions have already been made and they are just going through the motions.

Yeah. They are all reading from scripts. "This is something that we take looks down at script very seriously." Also, it appears that they were all privy to what each other was going to say before the hearing. " looks down at script As you said ..." Does that disturb anyone else?

It is already known that the NSA chief received the questions Sen. Wyden planned to ask him in advance, to give him time to prepare a response, a few months ago. This is said as if it is business as usual (and used to paint him in a worse light, since he lied before Congress after being given time to plan his answers), and I have no reason to think it is not.

Yet another reason to vote third party.

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