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Congress: all your tubes are belong to Obama

There's a few morsels of goodness in this draft legislation, but a whole lot wrong too.

...the United States is unprepared to respond to a ‘‘cyber-Katrina’’ and that ‘‘a massive cyber disruption could have a cascading, long-term impact without adequate co-ordination between government and the private sector

In just a moment, we'll see what this "co-ordination" looks like. It looks a lot like a dictatorial powers that can be invoked on ill-defined criteria:

The Institute [NIST] shall, establish standard computer-readable language for completely specifying the configuration of software on computer systems widely used in the Federal government, by government contractors and grantees, and in private sector owned critical infrastructure information systems and networks.

Note the term here "critical infrastructure information systems". See, its like this -- if "the decider" Obama, decides your privately owned and operated shit happens to be "critical infrastructure information systems" (which is unspecific and decided by the president), then you will be compelled to install and run a government mandated configuration. Nothing like making sure all possible targets are identical eh? If you're putting all your eggs in one basket, then you'd better watch that fucking basket very very closely.

Continuing, we see that The Decider Obama will also be given the power to shutdown these "critical infrastructure information systems" pretty much on a whim by declaring a "cybersecurity emergency" (the basis of which will also be decided by the president)

...may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;...

...may order the disconnection of any Federal government or United States critical infrastructure information systems or networks in the interest of national security;...

Releasing terrorists into the US population? NOT national security.
Turn off the internet based on whatever whimsical criteria leap into some president's fevered mind? National Security.

Of course, the Obama movement is looking more and more like a religion every day, and what would a religion be without its designated "high priests"?

...Beginning 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, it shall be unlawful for any individual to engage in business in the United States, or to be employed in the United States, as a provider of cybersecurity services to any Federal agency or an information system or network designated by the President, or the President’s designee, as a critical infrastructure information system or network, who is not licensed and certified under the program...

Of course this licensing and certification will require periodic renewal and undoubtedly the payment of lots of fat fees to cover the cost of paperwork.

How they plan to get everyone working security on a "critical infrastructure information system or network" all licensed up within 3 years is unclear, since its unclear what precisely is "critical infrastructure information system or network", since that's up to the whim of The Decider.

More HERE

H/T Jules