Week 5

You wanna know what makes me really grouchy? When government thinks it can control or fix anything and everything. This seems to further expand on last week's blog.

I listen to Air 1 every morning and Thursday morning I heard it announced that President Obama wants to create Internet ID. Seriously??? So, I looked it up and found it here:

Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans

Grrrr.

Inter-agency rivalries to claim authority over cybersecurity have existed ever since many responsibilities were centralized in the Department of Homeland Security as part of its creation nine years ago. Three years ago, proposals were circulating in Washington to transfer authority to the secretive NSA, which is part of the U.S. Defense Department.

So, now we have government agencies bickering about who's going to be in charge of this project, people screaming the private sector should be in charge of the project, and I'm trying to figure out who to thwap with my large trout.

Last week, I talked about Martin Libicki's these that Cyberspace cannot be conquered. This is because ti cannot be owned by anyone. He lists four reasons why Cyberspace cannot be conquered or owned.

1. Cyberspace is a replicable construct. 
2. To exist in cyberspace, your interactions must be recognized there.
3. Some aspects of cyberspace nevertheless tend to be persistent (ie mathematics)
4. Cyberspace has separate layers, the conquest of each of which has vastly different meaning

Let's face it, what is the point is wasting time with such a silly (and expensive project at the taxpayers dollars) project? 

Also, while Iran has similar applications (why are we even considering such an idea from a country like THAT!?), this is because Iran and even China has limited access to certain areas of the Internet already. Is this one step closer to controlling information???

On a lighter note, Symantec is being sued. Apparently, someone has created a new phrase for certain type of software called "scareware" where a reputable company "scans" your computer and tells you how badly your computer is infected and then you buy their product to fix it. Apparently, some dude didn't like being scared! 

Symantic Accused Of Selling "Scareware"

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and laugh and the silliness of people. 

Gross' beef with Symantec involves the free scans conducted by PC Tools Registry Mechanic, PC Tools Performance Toolkit and Norton Utilities.

He was tricked into paying about $30 to correct the issues that the scans revealed, even though the lawsuit alleges the scans didn't really check for anything, and the resulting product he bought served no purpose.

All I have to say to that is, "Dude, get a second opinion!"