Obama Going Ahead With Bush-Era Plan To Screen Computer Networks

Washington Post:

The Obama administration will proceed with a Bush-era plan to use National Security Agency assistance in screening government computer traffic on private-sector networks, with AT&T as the likely test site, according to three current and former government officials.

President Obama said in May that government efforts to protect computer systems from attack would not involve "monitoring private-sector networks or Internet traffic," and Department of Homeland Security officials say the new program will scrutinize only data going to or from government systems.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Leftwingbloggin]

I only hope the people in charge of monitoring can be trusted. As long as it's monitoring it's employees and networks that go to and from government sites and not private citizens. Best best is to go in person if you have to fill out forms or check things related to government services and not do any of it online, or not even visiting government sites all together, if you don't want to subject yourself to any type of random government eavesdropping.

[Joe Caps]

Whoa seems like there is a lot of denial going on here, I'm talking to you Furby.

Gee tell me how the government can monitor traffic to government servers without looking at private networks.

Unless you are accessing a government network through a government network, it will pass through private networks. Try to get to a government website without going through a private network. Go ahead, give it a try. You can only do it if you are directly connected to a government network (if you worked for the government at work).

It is illogical to think that you can do this without looking at private networks.

[aramos]

Sorry to break this too you Liberals, but Obama has kept many of the Bush era policies in place, and the only ones he's changing will not only create jobs, they won't save any either.

Obama is crashing and burning. You were DUPED!

Its the economy stupid! Your policies will not fix the economy, and will guarantee a longer US recession.

Good job.

[totaldisbelief]

Same old wine ..brand new bottle

[Furby]

I though Obama is only screening communications to and from government sites, unlike Bush. Oh I'm sorry, you haven't finished reading the article. Carry on then.

[stupidforum]

President Obama likes to fashion himself as a second Abraham Lincoln. If Lincoln had been as beholding to corporate interests as is Obama, he never would have issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the South would have remained a slavocracy even after reunification.

[Furby]

So how does that relate to screening communications to and from government sites?

[smchp]

That would require them to pull more nonsense out of their a$$ to correlate with their other nonsense. Too demanding for a tr0ll.

[Tom95134]

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" (Who will watch the watchers?)

[conservativesscareme]

nobody and if you complain about it, remember you are "unpatriotic"
we didn't even know about the AT&T warrantless wiretapping and secret surveillance until a great American leaker AT&T employee told us, then Bushitler tried to prosecute him

[JuliusR]

Is the only difference between GWB and BHO that one had more experience as a community organizer?

[emily00011]

do you even know anything about cyber attacks going on ? it is a serious and real threat to America.

[Furby]

Perhaps I should give you a chance to actually read the article before commenting on your post.

[JuliusR]

President Obama said in May that government efforts to protect computer systems from attack would not involve "monitoring private-sector networks or Internet traffic,"

[loki]

BushBama. Sure, many of the hardcore Obama supporters will try to justify this, just as the Bush supporters did. Even though they were very vocally against it when Bush was doing it. Funny how a name change can change an opinion isnt it?? Im disappointed in BushBama performance vs. Promise statistics so far. Its a very low performance level that would get most people fired from any other job. But Bush was a lot worse in all venues, so I guess it could be worse. Not much, but somewhat worse.

[AlwaysaLiberal]

Can you read past the title? Bush had some good ideas the problem was that he lied through his teeth about what he was doing.

[JuliusR]

And BHO lies through his teeth about what he's GOING to do.

[emily00011]

dude, it's your country's secrets on the line. The US's cyber security is woefully inadequate. Maybe you think it's part of freedom of speech or something to be able to hack into government computers?

[Furby]

Hey loki, this will be shorter to read than the article just in case your attention span requires sound bites and headlines. He'll be screening only communications to and from government sites.

[Antifascist-08]

Cyber hacking by foreign governments and other entities is one of the biggest security issues we face at this time and it is only going to get bigger. We have already been compromised by Russia, China and other factions. This is serious business.

Before these headlines appear on this site i wish the so called "EDITORS" would check all the facts and DETAILS before they start their usual round of inflammatory headlines.

Obama needs to upgrade our network security. Right now it is way below international standards as well as just plain behind the times. He is not going to be able to do that without looking at all the possible connections that can be used to hack the system.

He is not George Bush or Dick Cheney and those of you who keep pressing these comparisons are obviously just tro lls and paid bloggers.

[AlwaysaLiberal]

I agree.

[WilliamProc]

Honestly, Obama is not the person that I'm concerned with, its who is hired for the task. You wouldn't know if they were monitoring you( please don't say that they would never do that, rose-colored glasses are not becoming) or what information they deem to filter.

The Patriot Act is still law.

[ChristianEcon.com]

"those of you who keep pressing these comparisons are obviously just tro lls and paid bloggers."

Lol...who would pay for Joe Citizen's democratic interests?

[PhilipTaylor]

Is this phase 13 in the complete removal of Democracy from America?

When will the BIG BROTHER take full control?

The Time Window for Action to claim a Democracy in America is closing!

[HypocriticalSpamazon]

Agree. Securing government compters from cyber-tampering is a really, really bad thing.

Obama was supposed to be different. If he believes in openness, that should also mean that ANYONE in the world should be able to access ALL government data, plans and internal deliberations!

The way to be a good president is to be an open book. Just think: Iran and North Korea wouldn't be so hostile to the US if we gave them access to all our secrets, including the nuclear codes and Iraq war plans.

[ChristianEcon.com]

Straw man.

[conservativesscareme]

Big Brother really swung in when GWB was caught using subliminal brainwashing in his 2000 election campaign ads- no problem- musta worked?
and then there is the Traitor, oh, I mean Patriot Act- straight out of 1984

[emily00011]

glad to hear you are in favor of the government's computer networks NOT being protected. Seriously, dude, read up on this. This is about PROTECTING your way of life by keeping out those who want to steal America's secrets. The cyber attacks are not a small thing.

[PhilipTaylor]

Is this phase 13 of the in the complete removal of Democracy from America?

When will the BIG BROTHER take full control?

The Time Window for Action to claim a Democracy in America is closing!

[HypocriticalSpamazon]

Obama lives in the same house as Bush, works in the same office as Bush, has the same title as Bush, uses the same weekend retreat as Bush and flies on Air Force One like Bush. Where's the change?

I thought he was going to be different from Bush!! If he really wants to show he means change, he could rent a nice house in Georgetown, worked from the corner Starbucks, rename the office Prime Minister and fly commercial.

This is not the change we voted for!!

[windup]

While I don't necessarily trust the government, neither do I trust the Washington Post. Didn't we all read yesterday about their efforts to sell lobbying time to corporations for access to gov. officials?
So I wouldn't give a lot of weight to the way they are trying to tie Obama to Bush here.

[AlwaysaLiberal]

They've been doing it since the election was over. All of the newspapers have been doing it, and people are too lazy to read the whole article.

[Anym]

If they wish to monitor their computers and their employees fine but if it's revealed that private citizens computers are being hacked by the NSA we're going to need a new president.

And anybody screaming hypocrisy and where's the Change must have a short memory Obama's vote for immunity for the telephone companies last year should have alerted you to this.

[Furby]

Wow, you actually read the article. Wow.

[jsgaetano]

That FISA vote was specifically why I didn't vote for Obama.

[WilliamProc]

Sure they'll only monitor data on government systems, ask Jane Harmon.

[wijg]

LOL! Perfect!

[AlwaysaLiberal]

What does Jane Harman have to do with this? This isn't the Bush administration!

[WilliamProc]

Harman had her personal e-mails diverted by the NSA while she was chair, while trying to convince Americans that the data mining wasn't intrusive and personal.

[WilliamProc]

BTW, this is the main problem with data screening, the people doing it are closet voyeurs and will pry on any saucy info they come across.