from the sigh dept
Our soon-to-be American President has made quite a show about bolstering the country's efforts for cybersecurity. The "cyber", as he is wont to call the issue, is claimed to be in disrepair and requires brave new minds to protect the country's computer systems from hacks and attacks from outside forces. We've already discussed in the past how depressing it is to learn just how little actual computer science knowledge exists floating in the minds of our elected leaders and their top-level appointees. There is an opportunity to get very smart, very well-educated people on matters of cybersecurity involved in government.
But it appears that Trump is choosing instead to pass on that opportunity, instead tapping Rudy Giuliani to head up his cybersecurity task force. Giuliani runs a consulting firm that claims to be involved in cybersecurity, of course, except that the extent of its work on the subject appears to be the claims that it does so.
Giuliani does head a consulting firm in New York called Giuliani Partners that supposedly focuses on cybersecurity, but Vice’s Motherboard reported yesterday, it’s tough to tell what they actually do, and it’s even tougher to tell what Giuliani does for them, besides being the face of the operation while saying outrageous things on television.
As Motherboard’s Jason Koebler and Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai wrote, “Unlike many other cybersecurity firms, Giuliani Partners does not publish white papers about malware and large-scale hacks, or push for increased adoption of encryption, which would enhance cybersecurity across the board. In fact, it doesn’t talk much about cybersecurity at all, instead choosing to focus on its more traditional anti-crime consulting work.”
So we're off to a great start. Instead of bringing in someone with actual knowledge and experience in cybersecurity, the President Elect has instead put a cybersecurity cosplayer in charge. And not even a particularly good impersonator of a cybersecurity expert, it seems, as the internet has already begun poking fun at the security measures, or lack thereof, Giuliani Consulting has deployed for its own website.
We might be better off if Trump decided to employ one of the four-hundred pound slobs in their mother's basement he's referenced previously, as they seem to have a better handle on the very basics of web security than Giuliani. And they'd probably be cheaper as well, as the former mayor is on the record that his "cybersecurity firm" was more a venture of opportunism than one of added value for his clients.
Look, combating risks on "the cyber" (sigh) may indeed require a high-profile face, if only for the purposes of reassurance and PR. Sadly, those purposes are not fulfilled by a former mayor with a cybersecurity company that doesn't do cybersecurity, even for its own website.
#1: Fred Mertz To: Deckard (#0)
Funny line, probably cuz its true.
Fred Mertz posted on 2017-01-14 14:02:06 Reply Private Reply
#2: Hondo68 To: Deckard, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#0)
Cyber Security professionals.
Hondo68 posted on 2017-01-14 14:32:32 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: hondo68, Fred Mertz (#2)
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 14:37:58 Reply Private Reply
#4: Deckard To: Fred Mertz (#1)
I work with 20-year-olds who could do a better job than Ghouliani.
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 14:39:23 Reply Private Reply
#5: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#0)
More slanted YELLA garbage.
GrandIsland posted on 2017-01-14 14:40:48 Reply Private Reply
#6: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#5)
Slanted? Fess up sushi-boy, you read the title and nothing else before making your predictable response, didn't you?
Ghouliani is an idiot when it comes to cyber-security.
You must have a crush on him/her.
You do realize that TechDirt is a non-partisan site that reports on computer-oriented issues, right?
Please post your experience and credentials in the area of cyber-security.
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 15:11:46 Reply Private Reply
#7: BorisY To: Deckard (#0)
Hillary
would've
gave
us
fake
everything
news
security
treason
like
Richard
Clarke
as
a
good
example
stupid
people
not
quite
human
still
believe
oj
was
framed
marijuana
is
beneficial
harmless
hopeless
irreparable
stupid
damaged
love
boris
the
lights
go
out
in
the
attic
stays
on
in
the
basement
the
trap
door
stays
stuck
open
love
boris
ps
oh
yeah
every
thing
important
gets
cluttery
upped
every
piece
of
garbage
trivia
becomes
truth
gold
BorisY posted on 2017-01-14 15:13:59 Reply Private Reply
#8: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#6)
GrandIsland posted on 2017-01-14 15:17:13 Reply Private Reply
#9: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#8)
Other than your submissive worship of St. Donald, you mean?
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 15:18:25 Reply Private Reply
#10: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#9)
That inaccuracy comes from your blind hatred for Trump because Trump isn't going to push heroin vending machines in daycare centers.
Fa-Q, a-hole.
GrandIsland posted on 2017-01-14 15:21:47 Reply Private Reply
#11: BorisY To: Deckard (#9)
the
anita
hill
monica
blewinsky
Rodney
king
of
news
politics
love
boris
BorisY posted on 2017-01-14 15:22:07 Reply Private Reply
#12: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#10)
How about that - I agree with Trump on something.
Only in your alcohol-sotted mind is anyone in favor of that.
But then again you never have posted anything remotely resembling sanity.
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 15:25:27 Reply Private Reply
#13: GrandIsland To: Deckard (#12)
GrandIsland posted on 2017-01-14 21:54:08 Reply Private Reply
#14: Deckard To: GrandIsland (#13)
Pity the Poor Stormtroopers: Baby Bou-Bou Ambushed Them
support elementary school heroin snacks?
You're insane - or drunk.
Deckard posted on 2017-01-14 22:06:33 Reply Private Reply