Title: FW: [globalnews] TIA Spy Databases Very Hard to Create; Will Be Insecure Targets for Hackers, Terrorists
>From Dave Farber’s Interesting Persons mailing list. Those who fear the Bushes have created a Total Surveillance Society should take heart. Computer scientists think it’s unlikely to work and if implemented would be a juicy target for hackers of all kinds. US Govt. databases are notoriously insecure. Ask any grey or black data broker selling private companies, landlords and rich, paranoid individuals info about consumers.
The Bushies can only produce McCarthyism lite, taken seriously on Fox News, but hardly extending into our daily lives, other than at airports. ;-) Not a totalitarian state.
Unless of course, Americans collectively decide out of fear that they must shut up, pucker up and kiss ass. This technology won’t work any better than dot com business plans of the Nineties, but must be opposed publicly none the less.
Curtis
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Be the change you want to see in the world.
--Gandhi
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From: Dave Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 03:15:36 -0500
To: ip <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [IP] TIA - USACM statement
> The USACM news release is posted at:
> http://www.acm.org/announcements/tia.html
>
> �
>
> CONTACT:
> Jeff Grove
> ACM Public Policy Office
> (202) 478-6312
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> IMMEDIATE
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> COMPUTER SCIENTISTS QUESTION TIA SURVEILLANCE PLAN
> USACM Recommends an Independent Review of the U.S. Government's Total
> Information Awareness Program
> Washington, DC, January 23, 2003... USACM, the U.S. Public Policy Committee of
> the Association for Computing Machinery, today sent a letter to Congress
> recommending a rigorous independent review of the U.S. Government's Total
> Information Awareness (TIA) program.
>
> "As computer scientists and engineers we have significant doubts that the
> computer-based TIA program will achieve its stated goal of countering
> terrorism through prevention," said Dr. Barbara Simons, Co-chair of USACM.
> "Because of serious security, privacy, economic, and personal risks associated
> with the development of a vast database surveillance system, USACM recommends
> a rigorous independent review of these aspects of TIA. Such a review should
> include an examination of the technical feasibility and practical reality of
> the entire program." Dr. Simons said USACM would be pleased to assist in such
> a review.
>
> The TIA program is being developed by the Department of Defense as part of an
> effort to counter terrorism. In its current form, the TIA program would
> involve gathering vast amounts of personal information from U.S. citizens to
> compile a database of highly sensitive information, including financial,
> medical, educational, telephone, and travel records.
>
> USACM Co-Chair Dr. Eugene H. Spafford noted that databases like those proposed
> by TIA would provide new targets for exploitation and attack by malicious
> computer users, criminals, and terrorists. "It is unlikely that sufficiently
> secure databases of the required size and complexity, whether centralized or
> distributed, can be constructed and effectively employed in a secure
> environment, even with significant research advances. There are important
> steps the government can take now to improve current operational systems that
> enhance homeland security without creating major new risks to our information
> infrastructure," concluded Dr. Spafford.
>
> A copy of USACM's letter to Congress regarding the TIA program can be found
> at: http://www.acm.org/usacm/Letters/tia_final.html
>
> About USACM
>
> ACM is a leading society of computer professionals in education, industry, and
> government. The USACM facilitates communication between computer professionals
> and policy-makers on issues of concern to the computing community. For more
> information, visit the USACM web site at www.acm.org/usacm.
>
> ###
>
> �
> ACM/Press Release
> Last Update: January 23, 2003
>
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