Almost a year to the day....
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/27/lockheed_securid_hack_flap/
We'll just ask our defense contractor to help us with security....You mean the one that got hacked..... Yes that one.
Lockheed Martin has won a contract worth up to $454m to help the Pentagon with its Cyber Crime Center. The company will provide support to the Department of Defense's centre, known as DC3, which investigates criminal, counterintelligence and counterterrorism cases and will also offer security support to Defense Industrial Base …
Just because we got an astronaut into space with the lowest bidding contractors, doesn't mean you can do it with systems security. THIS WILL BLOW UP IN THEIR FACES. Please save this one for future references, hacks by Anonymous are sure to come. This DC3 is not about crime, it's about controlling and shutting off the Internet in the US when the shit hits the fan. Which will be any day now.
Thats a hell of a lot of computing power, I wonder what the contract requirements really are !
1 : Build network of undetectable zombies that are capable of knocking out all major data centres within 5 minutes.
2 : Create an algorithm which can decrypt any coded message within 30 minutes.
3 : Create a supercomputer capable of reprogramming all of the goverments computers just in case we fuck things up.....
4 : Ensure that if we get hacked that a media message will automatically inform world and all about the mischevious nature of Anonymous and then randomly select a script kiddie that can be extradited to the States rapidly.
500 Million , thats a lot of wonga for a project that might not even have any positive outcome......
The first $454 million will be used almost exclusively to raise the next half billion. When was the last time Lockheed ever actually delivered on a contract unless the could just buy it from someone else?
This type of pricing is just way out of control. They could have built up an I ternal department with much higher competency for far less money and most likely in the end will have to do that to compensate for shit service from Lockheed.
Doesn't this 'cyber crime' fighting violate Posse Comitatus ?
I think the emphasis here is on the wrong threats. There are certainly potential enemies in the form of foreign states that need to be countered with military capability. The potential for a broad attack against national infrastructure (communications networks, energy utilities or even transportation systems) is at a different level than organized crime engaged in identity theft or financial fraud.
Cops and soldiers both need similar tools (e.g. firearms) but the employment doctrine is very different.