

We Need an Invasive NSA - tokenadult
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115002/invasive-nsa-will-protect-us-cyber-attacks

======
andrewfong
A couple of key flaws here:

* There isn't a market failure. There's plenty of market incentive to stop DDOS attacks, network intrusions, etc., and there are many well-paid cyber-security firms as a result of it. It's unclear how NSA or military involvement would be a net improvement to security, given their own inability to secure their networks.

* The NSA's offensive operations can undermine it's defense roles. I suppose there's a chance that introducing a backdoor into an encryption standard ultimately helps cybersecurity -- e.g. you intercept a message from the Prime Minister of Country X detailing its plans to hack a particular target -- but it seems MUCH MORE likely those backdoors will simply be used against us.

------
transfire
"Syrian Electronic Army" Seriously? Oh, obviously it must the Syrians. I mean,
it wouldn't be the "Lithuanian Electronic Army" now would it? They're not in
Evil Doer Fashions 2013. So clearly it must be the Syrians trying to... well
to do what exactly? Change the weather reports in the Times weekend edition?
Frailing hogwash.

Far more likely is the old middle school tort: He who smelt it, dealt it.

------
comex
"and to control the stealth introduction of vulnerabilities during the
manufacture of computer components—vulnerabilities that can later be used as
windows for cyber-attacks."

Right... the NSA needs to stop the kind of bad actors that stealthily
introduce vulnerabilities into commercial computer systems, which is
extraordinarily dangerous for everyone's computer security.

Oh wait...

------
gmuslera
Lets sleep in the lion's den because could be tigers outside. Basically that
is what they are proposing us.

