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http://www.cringely.com/2009/10/the-cybersecurity-myth/
Listen to this post in Bob's sexy, sexy voice
http://www.cringely.com/podcast/20091002.mp3
Robert X. Cringely
October 2nd, 2009
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this week it will hire up
to 1,000 cybersecurity experts over the next three years to help protect
U.S. computer networks. This was part of National Cybersecurity
Awareness Month and the announcement was made by DHS Secretary Janet
Napolitano, who also said they probably won.t need to hire all 1,000
experts, which is good because I am pretty sure THERE AREN.T ONE
THOUSAND CIVILIAN CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS IN THE ENTIRE FRIGGIN. WORLD!!!!
So I polled six old friends who ARE cybersecurity experts and they
kinda-sorta agreed with me. More on this below.
But first I have to marvel that I even know six cybersecurity experts
and - even more amazing - I'm pretty sure they don't know each other.
They seem to be like badgers, solitary creatures who only come out to
mate.
They are cynics, too. One questioned the term "cybersecurity" as being
inappropriate.
"(It) depends on your definition of expert," said expert number one, who
works deep in the military-industrial complex. "If you mean someone who
can spell 'cyber' then sure (there are 1,000). If you mean those who
know that 'cyber' is short for 'cybernetics' and has little to do with
computers then probably not. I still occasionally use the title
'Cybernetic Psychophysicist'"
Sure enough, there's a very detailed definition of cybernetics here and
it doesn't intrinsically have very much to do with computers or
networks, though don't tell that to the DHS without first taking off
your shoes and placing the definition in a one quart plastic bag.
[...]
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