Washington Post:
A top operational official in charge of protecting civilian government computer networks has resigned, dealing another blow to the federal effort to enhance cybersecurity.
Robert Siciliano: Obama: Cybersecurity Starts at Home
The Internet, and the power it has in contrast to the security it doesn't, is incredible. We have never seen something so powerful also used to hurt, scam and debilitate in so many ways.
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Get a reality check. It is all about the money. Government executive salaries are high to the people that don't make them. They are low compared what executives in the defense contracting business make. When a government executive quits and says they have a job in private industry it is all about the money. We will see Michelle Kwan hanging on to her clearance and taking on a VP title. It is the way it is. If you read the entire article you'll see the little note at the bottom. And Melissa Hathaway will end up back at Booz, Hamilton, Allen. The federal government can't compete on salaries and benefits with corporations.
The comments on here are simply....
This is the resignation of a senior officer of Cybersecurity which is a part of national security.
The numerous individuals who have stepped down from this agency have done so because of their inability to do things that were illegal. They stepped down because they understand and have honor.
They most certainly were being asked to do things that they felt were not just wrong headed, but dishonorable. You don't throw away a career in high level government operations just cause you feel
presently stifled or by any of the other foolish reasons the author asserts.
So true!
If Obama can't manage this...he can't manage anything.
Or, maybe he did manage this......
No one is immune to Obama disillusionment.
Could be he is waiting out the loyal Bushies. We need to rid our government of all of them.
How much more obvious do they have to make it, the risk vs. reward factor is just not worth it. They know better than most they are in a lose lose situation and rather be in the private sector. Nothing more.
So Kwon & Palin are both quitters..
Uhhh..ok.
Remember a few months ago when China shot down one of her own communication satellites? Common knowledge at the time said China's motivation was just to show the west they were capable of such a thing. If they can shoot down their own, ours are sitting ducks.
Or, to put it another way....? I think one of the greatest signs of civilization is simply that everyone stays on their own side of the road most of the time. Conversely, you might say, "We live in a fool's paradise".
Do not be surprised to find a blank computer screen some morning. I won't. Then what? Then, i guess we will find out.
Who appointed those who have quit? Were they "loyal Bushies?" If so, maybe the loss is not so great.
Five years...Bu
Actually this is not an appointed position. She was at Justice prior to this while the gov paid for one of her degrees, then from that dog's lunch off to DHS, then surprise big paying job at private firm. Real big incentive to make things work well, when you know you're going to go someplace to get paid to consult back to fix the problems.
but on the plus side she wasn't a loyal bushie.
...somethi
I was wondering about that too, caught too many trojans and viruses lately...s
Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team
"frustrated by bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of authority to fulfill her mission!"
What does that say about our Computer Security?
She was probably just peeved that our Government has lifted the ban on searching YOUR web browser (cookies) Ignoring privacy protections. Politicsda
Nah, I'm sure that's still in operation.
Sounds like she was in over her head. This job requires not only the qualifications and training-not sure she has those but also a huge passion and aptitude for this kind of work. It wouldn't be my thing. One less Bush holdover.
NSA or CIA . Twins sons of different mothers. To much ego. To much power. Infighting is not healthy. The enemy loves it though.
``Mischel Kwon was the US-CERT director within the United States Department of Homeland Security. She took the post in June 2008,[1] and resigned from it in August 2009 [2]
Prior to serving as director of US-CERT, Mischel Kwon was the chief IT security technologist within the United States Department of Justice as well as the acting deputy director of IT security. [1]
Mischel Kwon has a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Marymount University and has a Master's Certificate in Information Assurance from The George Washington University. She is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University
Marymount?
Stop with these "security experts" no one in the field know let alone respects.
If you want someone at CERT to be respected start drawing from people at Carnegie Mellon for starters.
This is my problem with Geithner. His credentials do not impress me.
yeah look at george w bush. he's from yale. didn't he do a wonderful job??
He was a legacy admittance and a C student. He was unable to get admitted to a quality law school so he took space at Harvard MBA - again based upon family contacts. He rode anti Clinton wave to Texas Governorship - was a poor governor and was horrible president. enough said.
Actually, she used quite a lot of people from Carnegie Mellon, and she ran the cyberdefense training lab at GW for several years. DHS is in a shambles still, so no doubt it's hard to get anything done there, but Mischel Kwon's difficulties were not her credentials or smarts. They weren't all external either, but definitely she knows cyber stuff.
Where's the backbone? Where's the administration's support and backing? They just keep quitting?
pissedmich
"In March, another Homeland Security cybersecurity official, Rod Beckstrom, resigned, citing a lack of support inside the agency and what he described as a power grab by the National Security Agency."
That is the agency whose specialty is *breaking* electronic security to spy without a warrant. It is a spinoff of Navy signals intelligence in the 1940s, and it is now interfering with every meaningful effort by honest government officials to protect our privacy and security from criminals. Why?
http://yro
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First Posted: 08- 8-09 12:21 AM | Updated: 09- 7-09 05:12 AM