Congress Gives NSA-Controlled US Cyber Command More Resources

from the keep-feeding-the-beast dept

Even as there are growing concerns about the NSA, the White House has made it clear that it will not separate the NSA from the US Cyber Command, which is the military’s unit that conducts offensive attacks on foreign computing systems. The NSA likes to pretend they’re two separate organizations, when they’re really one and the same. They’re housed in the same place and run by the same guy. And, apparently that’s not about to change.

However, Congress has just agreed to funnel a lot more resources to the US Cyber Command, giving Keith Alexander and his soon-to-be-announced successor that much more power to attack computer systems and networks around the globe.

As part of the defense policy bill that just passed Congress, the Pentagon’s many cybersecurity initiatives together secured billions of dollars in funding as well as new resources to help train Cyber Command’s programmers and prepare them to operate on the emerging digital battlefield.

Of course, as the report by Tony Romm notes, this is all being done despite no “rules of engagement” for the US Cyber Command. You would think that before handing over billions, Congress would like to know what the group — again, controlled by the NSA — can and cannot do with that money.

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Comments on “Congress Gives NSA-Controlled US Cyber Command More Resources”

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12 Comments
That One Guy (profile) says:

Yeah, given they are run by the same person, in the same building, who wants to bet that the NSA may soon find itself with an ‘unexpected’ influx of funding, just in time to make up for any de-funding efforts put together by congress and the senate?

It’s no wonder the WH refuses to separate the two, with both agencies tied together you’d have to de-fund both to get rid of or reign in either.

out_of_the_blue says:

As I've said all along: no one is going to jail, not a cent will be cut.

Realism is grim, kids. Just a little makes you a grouchy cynic. But fact is that the whole Snowden “leak” even if not intentionally planned for limited hangout psyop, has been NO effect on NSA — even though they’ve stories out that has — and so looks more all the time like was just to acquaint the dolts with how they’re surveilled. Instead, as right here, gets more money. — Oh, and Snowden is now out winding it down too with a rather suspicious “mission accomplished” interview up now on Drudge. Don’t know how anyone can claim an accomplishment unless the goal were just to make it all public, because NOTHING IS ROLLED BACK.


Google’s tailoring to YOU can selectively substitute, omit, and lie. You can’t trust anything on the net, neither what you see nor what you don’t see!

02:01:36[c-2-0]

Drew says:

Re: As I've said all along: no one is going to jail, not a cent will be cut.

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Anonymous Coward says:

IIRC, the US considers a cyber attack to be an act of war – or maybe this stance has changed since it was publicly declared a few years ago.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304563104576355623135782718

What seems like a long time ago, Congress had to declare war prior to actually engaging in warfare. I’m still confused as to why congress has abdicated a big portion of their responsibilities in government. People who are incapable of doing their job are usually let go, that’s just the way it is – unless you are a member of the elite ruling class.

Anonymous Coward says:

as has been said multiple times, what the USA is doing is trying to take over everyone, everywhere, without actually firing a shot! it’ has screwed many countries already with it’s completely one-sdided ‘Trade Deals’ which are nothing other than multi-nation contracts giving the USA total control over everything and everyone in those other nations. it constantly demeans other nations and accuses them of performing covert operations against the USA when in actual fact it’s the USA carrying out the underhanded operations, even against it’s so-called allies! all this extra money is going to do is aid in more disgraceful actions performed by the USA on any nation it feels like, expecting there to be no recourse against it! if ever there was a two-faced nation, the USA is it! it gives out impressions of freedom, privacy, and citizen rights, when, in actual fact, it is working against removing all citizen rights completely, as fast as possible, and setting up what is partly in place already, a complete police State!!

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