Ever quick to "throw the first stone", the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has gone on record to chastise the private sector for lax security. Am I alone in thinking WTF here?
I mean, really. The DHS got slammed by the GAO for achieving "no significant results" in any of their 13 main duties; they achieved "failing results" for protection of their own systems in the same report.
And it's not just the GAO; they've also been slammed publicly by congress - it's been a "bipartisan groin-kicking" over there.
To quote Senator Liebermann (a democrat): “How can the department possibly protect the nation’s critical cyberstructure if it cannot keep its own house in order? More than two years after the department was formed, it should have a better grasp on protecting its own systems and information.” Or to quote Senator Coburn (a republican), "The government's plan to secure our vital infrastructures from a cyber threat remains vague…despite clear legislative and executive mandates."
Wow. Do you get the impression that the DHS chastising the private sector is kind of like Courtney Love telling kids to "just say no?" I mean, you hear them say it, and you try to find the "twinkle in their eye" or the coming wink that will acknowledge it as a joke.
Posted by Ed at August 12, 2005 11:53 AM