DHS Stored Bioterrorism Data On Unsecured Servers
via Emily Baumgaertner, reporting for The Los Angeles Times, tells a tale of deep incompetence at the Department of Homeland Security (additional evidence of stupidity {with requisite bonus points} with revelations that data egress command source and destination are unknown, as is (of course) attribution, thereof. Most certainly Todays Must Read.
'The information — housed on a dot-org website run by a private contractor — has been moved behind a secure federal government firewall, and the website was shut down in May. But Homeland Security officials acknowledge they do not know whether hackers ever gained access to the data.' - via Emily Baumgaertner, reporting for The Los Angeles Times
Pai's Incompetence Leads FCC (and the Nation) Down Flawed Path
via the inimitable Jon Brodkin, reporting from Ars Technica, comes this superlative piece of short-form reportage, detailing the utter incompetence of Agit Pai's FCC Commissioner's Board including himself, of course). And what do we owe this significantly dissappointing determination of the glaring lack of governing capabilities of these political appointees? Read Mr. Brodkin's report, and you will be in the 'know', as it were.
'A new broadband mapping system is starting to show just how inaccurate the Federal Communications Commission's connectivity data is. ...() In Missouri and Virginia, up to 38% of rural homes and businesses that the FCC counts as having broadband access actually do not, the new research found. That's more than 445,000 unconnected homes and businesses that the FCC would call "served" with its current system.' - via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica with this timely reportage
Weak-Kneed Oversight, The Clowns Of Biometric Data Security
via superlative reportage from DJ Pangburn, we now learn of the ineptitude of US governmental oversight officials (and the Agencies, Bureaus, Departments, and Branches of Federal Government they service) tasked with protecting gathered and stored biometric data (amongst other things). Simply asotounding.
The Unenforceables
via Nicholas Vinocour, reporting at Politico, of the apparent enforcement shortcomings evidenced by the European Union's GDPR Data Protection Commission (in this case, the entity entrusted with the enforcement of the GDPR is the Republic of Ireleand's Data Protection Commission). Today's Must Read! h/t
FCC Chairman Pai Front-Loads FCC Consumer Advisory Panel With Anti-Consumer Functionaries
The Chairman has apparently decided it's OK to front load a consumer level commission with anti-consumer business 'leaders'... Pai's behavior as Chairman certainly crosses the line into the realm of corruption and, at the very least malfeasance. When will this clown's malign actions be investigated?
'Sprint and T-Mobile had quit ALEC in 2012 and 2015, respectively, "leav[ing] Comcast, Charter Communications, CenturyLink, and Cox Communications as the last major telecom companies sticking with the corporate bill mill," PR Watch reported in November 2018,..' via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica
Apparently, There Is No Longer Clear And Present Danger
Meanwhile, in Governance By Imbeciles news, a troubling a story, via Betsy Woodruff, writing at The Daily Beast, targeting the shuttering of an intelligence analysis group (ostensibly focused on domestic terrorism) at the United States Department of Homeland Security, monikered the 'Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)'. Also, claims by David Glawe (the new Trump Administration appointee that the grpup's closing makes for enhanced output, yet simutaneously, California's Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reports work product from DHS (regarding actionable domestic terrorism intelligence) is slowing to a trickle). Read it all in Ms. Woodruff's well crafted reportage, and try not to weep for our Law Enforcement Agegenies at both the Federal and Local levels. Today's Must Read.
FCC Coughs Up $43,000 For Hiding Net Neutrality Records
You Can Successfully Bet The Chairman Will Be Implicated In This...
via Jon Brodkin, writing at Condé Nast media property Ars Technica, in which, Mr. Brodkin reports on bad news for Chairman Ajit Pai, as the FCC was forced to settle a suit (to the tune of 43K) brought by independent writer Jason Prechtel where the FCC refused to comply with a FOIA request for data related to the Commissions'repeal of net neutrality. Folks, that's $43,000 of US taxpayer money paid out (legitimately) to a suit plaintiff (and rightly so, to cover his attorney's fees and court costs), that would not have occurred if we had an honest FCC Chairman in place.
"The FCC didn't comply with the request and allegedly didn't even approve or deny the FoIA request within the legally allotted timeframe, so Prechtel sued the commission in September 2017. One year later, a US District Court judge presiding over the case ordered the FCC to stop withholding certain records sought by Prechtel, although the ruling didn't give Prechtel everything he asked for." via Jon Brodkin, writing at Ars Technica, in a report detailing a settlement forced on the FCC by Judge Christopher Cooper of US District Court for the District of Columbia (Ars Technica's PDF link).
Another Appalling Privacy Failure From The FCC
This time, it's the apparent lack of planning for location privacy protections in the new 911 Emergency Data Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from our apparently on-the-take Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai. Via Jon Brodkin, writing at ArsTechnica, comes a significantly enhanced detailed analysis of the Chairman's latest playing-it-fast-and-loose with our data. Just Shameful.
FCC To Auction Wireless Spectrum That Will Interfere With Weather Data Collection
What kind of idiot would do this damage to the data collection of meteorological data, just to make a buck? Ajit Varadaraj Pai, that's who... The first (that I can recall) Federal Communications Commission Chairman that's for sale to the highest bidder.
Listen In On FCC Lawyers Attempting To Defend Repeal Of Net Neutrality Rules →
Listen in to the three-judge-panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, hearing oral arguments on that little matter of Net Neutrality rules repeal. In the audio, you'll hear Federal Communications Commission attorneys fumble their way through their poor defense of the repeal of FCC Net Neutrality Rules. A Phenom, eh? Enjoy.
The Federal TLS Chronicles: A Litany of Failed Certificate Governance
via the always informative Catalin Cimpanu, writing at ZDNet, comes the anticipated TLS Certificate renewal failures for at least 80 United States federal websites due to the federal government shutdown. Color us a bright shade of completely not surprised.
"In the end, nothing good will come out of this shutdown. May it be a cyber-attack that goes undetected or agencies losing cyber-security personnel leaving for the private sector, the ripple effects of this shutdown will haunt agencies for months or years to come." - via Catalin Cimpanu, writing at ZDNet, comes news of federal website TLS Certificate renewal failures.
Meet The Big Brother Of India (And Potentially - Others)
via Nikhil Pahwa, reporting for Wired UK, comes a glimpse into an Indian version of Big Brother, in this case, a database monikered Aadhaar, in which is contained the apparently problematically managed biometric identity data of over 1.2 Billion Indian Citizens. I fear for the freedom of the justly proud and wonderful people of India with the existence of this system. Nice logo though, eh?
"The Aadhaar number is a 12 digit identity code, based on a person's biometric and demographic information, that has been made mandatory for a large number of government welfare and private services in India: at present you need one to open a bank account, get a mobile phone, pay taxes, or even get an ambulance. It is the largest biometric identity project in the world and has enrolled more than 1.22 billion people. Russia, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are interested in adopting similar systems." - via Nikhil Pahwa, reporting for Wired UK
Too Busy, Don't Care; So Sorry, Not Sorry
via Lawrence Abrams, writing at Bleeping Computer, comes news of a the most recent Attorney's General - The Gathering, colaescing into a brilliant coterie of top Law Enforcement Officials for their individual States. In which, Mesdames et Messieurs Procureurs Généraux demanding Somthing Be Done about Robo-Calls (cetainly the 1st, 2nd and perhaps 3rd World Scourge of Telecommunications) in a missive to the Federal Commmunications Commission (FCC).
Now, whilst I do enthusiastically laud the Advocatus Generalis' cumulative effort to stem-the-tide of robotic-calling systems - that enthusiasm is tempered by the herculean proposition it is to make such a request of the FCC, as Charman Pai of the Commission is far too busy casting his Reese's Peanut Butter Cup soaked visage for former employer Verizon and the other telcos' interests, rather than the People's Business.
"As these illegal telemarketing scams are estimated to have stolen 9.5 billion dollars from consumers, the letter urges the FCC to push for new protocols that can further help to battle these scams. These protocols are STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) and can be used by telephone providers to identify legitimate calls and those from bad actors..." - via Lawrence Abrams> , writing at Bleeping Computer