Adrienne's Corner

Cyber Czar?

This doesn't pass the sniff test....

I've been thinking about this since I first read about it this morning. A cyber czar(what's with all this czar business, anyway?)

Certain things jumped out at me such as;

"But Mr. Obama’s policy review was not specific about how he would turn many of the goals into practical realities, and he said nothing about resolving the running turf wars among the Pentagon, the National Security Agency, the Homeland Security Department and other agencies over the conduct of defensive and offensive cyberoperations."

When is this man ever specific? He just throws stuff out into the air and never gives any details and next thing you know a bill is being passed, an executive order over turned, or he's spending another gazillion of our money.

Next:

"The White House approach appears to place a new “cybersecurity coordinator” over all of those agencies. Mr. Obama did not name the coordinator Friday, but the policy review said that whoever the president selects would be “action officer” inside the White House during cyberattacks, whether they were launched on the United States by hackers or governments."

"In an effort to silence critics who have complained that the official will not have sufficient status to cut through the maze of competing federal agencies, Mr. Obama said the new coordinator would have “regular access to me,” much like the coordinator for nuclear and conventional threats."

So we have someone who reports directly to him concerning the internet and cyber-security. Sounds rather controlling to me.

More:

Although the president did not discuss details of the expanding role for the military in offensive and pre-emptive cyberoperations, senior officials said Friday that the Pentagon planned to create a new cybercommand to organize and train for digital war, and to oversee offensive and defensive operations.

There's those pesky little details again. Pre-emptive cyberoperations? What the heck does that mean? Is he planning on having the army go around and blow up possible rogue modems, or is he possibly more interested in controlling cyberspace as well as the airwaves?

Sources: New York Times , San Jose Mercury News