"While the details are unknown, credible evidence indicates that billions of everyday communications of ordinary Americans are swept up by government computers and run through a process that includes both data-mining and review of content, to try to figure out whether any of us were involved in illegal or terrorist-related activity. That means that even the most personal and private of our electronic communications–between doctors and patients, between husbands and wives, or between children and parents–are subject to review by computer algorithms programmed by government bureaucrats or by the bureaucrats themselves. (Cindy Cohn, “Lawless Surveillance, Warrantless Rationales,” American Constitution Society, August 17, 2009) Reference: http://fromthewilderness.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/obama-administration-seeks-emergency-control-of-the-internet/ This bill includes a provision for government mandated certification for professional security or systems people. While government mandated certification might be required (for government networks); I am not afraid that passing the requirement will be difficult. No licensing has ever been hard. Controls on private industry at a licensing level from government simply dumb down the private sector technical standards who somehow suddenly think their open ended liability has been handled by triangulation. While PCI compliance regulation was certainly finally required, a licensing requirement for individuals working on systems will actually thwarth evolution toward real secure systems when clearly a quarterly system SCAN for technical proof of PCI and HIPPA compliance is indicated (just like peanut processing plants are required to be tested for salmonella). Should America continue to hire Persian/Iranian, East Indian and Pakistan "IT professionals" at low low wages, the licensing might make sense, however how does one determine IT terrorism from abject greed or uneduation? If one can pass a trivial government licensing test, then fails to provide technical due dilligence because of corporate management, is that a political agenda? Let the private industry determine technical/professional level required for their engineers by financial/fiscal policy, like they did creating security issues not paying hourly wages sufficient to the work required, not listening to their technical security and development staffs recommendations. The government will go ahead with it's control of private Internet visa a vi this bill (or another with similar provisions) since this will allow the real agenda of tapping various large nets (MAE-WEST, Akamai Technologies) for packet traffic, which are fed into analysis engines on the basis of known risk criteria as part of DHS/NSA international agenda (that is without borders with regards to Internet packets). Some level of this bill is required, and will happen. I, unlike my parents, do not fear information, since I don't ever do anything that would be flagged into a database that would bring negative consequences. I expect that misuse of secret information, in human hands (read government) will continue until humans evolve beyond that, or develop systems to ensure protection (which ironically will start with NSA/DHS information technology at a governmental level). Disclaimer: This is a technical ethics discussion, let's keep ON SUBJECT related to IT here. -- (623)239-3392 (503)754-4452 www.obnosis.com --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss