Posted on 10/01/2004 8:06:37 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Frustrated Cybersecurity Chief Calls It Quits Abruptly Resigns, Cites Frustration
Oct 1, 2004 11:02 am US/Eastern WASHINGTON (AP) The government's cybersecurity chief has abruptly resigned after one year with the Department of Homeland Security, confiding to industry colleagues his frustration over what he considers a lack of attention paid to computer security issues within the agency.
Amit Yoran, a former software executive from Symantec Corp., informed the White House about his plans to quit as director of the National Cyber Security Division and made his resignation effective at the end of Thursday, effectively giving a single's day notice of his intentions to leave.
Yoran said Friday he "felt the timing was right to pursue other opportunities." It was unclear immediately who might succeed him even temporarily. Yoran's deputy is Donald "Andy" Purdy, a former senior adviser to the White House on cybersecurity issues.
Yoran has privately described frustrations in recent months to colleagues in the technology industry, according to lobbyists who recounted these conversations on condition they not be identified because the talks were personal
(Excerpt) Read more at wcbs880.com ...
Maybe Dick Clark can finally get that promotion he was looking for.
Hopefully, the rest of "Homeland Security" will follow this excellent example immediately.
I heard Golan Cipel is looking for work.
Who is this schlub and why do I care if he quits his job?
(steely)
"confiding to industry colleagues his frustration over what he considers a lack of attention paid to computer security issues "
Sadly this is the lament of many IT professionals in many companies. They are trying to explain a difficult topic to lay people who have little or no understanding of the topic and in many cases won't defer to those who do.
"Who is this schlub and why do I care if he quits his job?"
Because he was formerly with one of the preeminent and trusted names in computer protection software and if his assertions about our ignoring computer security are valid we may very well be f$*ked.
Much of our modern infrastructure, including military, relies on the worlds networks and the devices that reside on them and the avenues for attack are varied and many.
Technology and tech professionals move very rapidly. Government moves very slowly. The only thing government can do quickly is grind down result oriented people.
You should care because cyberterrorism is real. Forbes (great magazine) has a timely article about it here:
http://www.forbes.com/home/free_forbes/2004/0920/070.html
It would be pretty uncomfortable if terrorists shut down our electrical grid from some hole in Iraq.
Strange donation pattern for this guy. Writes a big check to the Bush campaign in August of last year, then in September 2003, after he gets the Washington job, he donates to Wesley Clark.
I'm sure he can be replaced with no effect to "cyber security". An $80 mil budget is hardly ignoring computer security. There is more to this story that has nothing to do with security.
And this guy quitting his job is going to effect that, how?
I doubt it.
Cybersecurity is way overhyped. Read Mitnick's book. Most great haXs have a large component of social engineering. Plus anything the government would suggest would have a large conflict of interest in it because the governmnet wants to snoop on you.
REAL security would mean encrypted email, encrypted IM and encrypted VoIP as the default, and encrypted files on disk. It would end the ability of law enforcement to spy on citizens. The government fears that.
You may be right about replacing him with no effect but I would point out that throwing wads of cash at a problem does not mean it is being effectively addressed.
How professional of him to quit with 1 days notice.
You might like Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress". enjoy.
Entertaining, but about as real as the DaVinci Code.
Yeah - I don't pull any research from that book. C. Stoll has a great book if you want real stories.
It would be pretty uncomfortable if terrorists shut down our electrical grid from some hole in Iraq.
"And this guy quitting his job is going to effect that, how?"
You can't figure out why the resignation of the US Head of Cyberterrorism will affect our country's cyberterrorism battle?
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