Verizon lands 10-year deal to unify DHS networks US telco Verizon yesterday announced it had won a $678.5m, ten-year deal to tie together the many disparate networks within the vast US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "The Department of Homeland Security has entrusted Verizon Business to support its critical mission of protecting our country and its citizens," said …
<quote>Examples include the US Coast Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the US Secret Service* and the Transportation Security Administration - to name just a few ... Verizon will link all these WANs and the rest of DHS together in a single, fully-secure IP network
</quote>
Obviously, there is a "KER" missing from between "WAN" and "s".
What, they're gonna put in a set of armoured and shielded lines in, in parallel to the kit that's already there?
Cos it's for damn sure that if they just encrypt the current networks, someone will be able to get into it without much difficulty... and even if Verizon could come up with some ultra-successful method for preventing access from "unregistered" nodes, all it takes is one good-looking Black Hat with a persuasive manner and one lonely/lecherous DHS employee, and the network will no longer be "fully secure"...
On the other hand, all it takes is one fat programmer with a diet coke habit, deep pockets and a penchant for naming his hacks after Lewis Carrol characters, and the DHS might find out even they can't catch everyone...
"White rabbit dot object? What is it with all this hacker shit?"
Ok, I was about to chastise El Reg for mis-reporting that the US Secret Service was part of DHS, but it turns out it's true. I'm ashamed that I didn't already know that. I just know that until recently the USSS was, strangely, part of the Department of the Treasury.
Paris, because I doubt she knew this either...
(beep) Thank you for calling the Department of Homeland Security. Our system is proudly operated by Verizon, which offers low rates, excellent customer service and prompt problem resolution. Your call is important to us, and may be recorded for training and security reasons, and also because we can darn well do as we please, being a quasi-military contractor for the US government and involved in the nebulous war against terror. In addition, your IP will be logged and archived forever under the National Secrets Act of (secret). Please listen carefully, as some of our menu options have changed. In case of national emergency, you may encounter extended wait times. If you do not wish to remain on hold, please send a post card, affixing the correct postage, to DHS, the Fortress, Washington DC.
Para Espanol, marque el numero dos.
In case of alien invasion, press one.
In case of pending asteroid strike, press two.
In case of atomic attack, don't bother pressing anything, just bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.
If you see formations of black helicopters converging on your location, stay very still and practice being invisible.
If approached by politicians running for office, set your BS shields to "war emergency".
If there are problems with your account, press 9, which will connect you to the nearest "Dial A Prayer" phone service in your geographic area.
For all other situations and eventualities, please hang up and do not call again. DHS is not interested in your silly little problems, as we have funding to pursue, and this is more important to us than pursuing anything or anyone else. Besides, Congress doesn't shoot back, and nobody has ever died from an overdose of hot air (even if they wish they had).
Have a nice day. (click)
I have been doing network engineering for a long time now, and I have never seen a more incompetent, lying, dishonest, sell your mom for table scraps company than MCI/VzB. The USA doesn't have a chance now. They shouldn't be afraid of Al Quaeda. They should be afraid of the crap network engineers in Cary, NC.
Someone got paid off. Its the only way this could have happened.
Doesn't anyone remember how MCI killed telecomm by capitalizing network maintenance? Bernie Ebbers playing craps with company funds? The list goes on...
like certain reactors hereabouts... Canada... (that the world relies on for isotopes)
the potential for politics and patronage spending seem... ungodly...
in this sad state of affairs (
It seems money rises above all else (security, health) and should be promptly investigated for it's anti gravity properties.
we could always bait traps with loonies... with 9 losers and one winner at every promotion level, a disgruntled employee is a certainity, not a chance.
luckers verison. may your complaint file be over flowing. your cheerleaders will make good scapegoats.
packrat
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