Truth About Computer Security Hysteria
The White House's toothless draft cybersecurity plan, part 4
Rob Rosenberger, Vmyths co-founderSunday, 22 September 2002 I PITY WHITE House flunky Howard Schmidt. I really do. His own boss put him in a Kobayashi Maru scenario last Wednesday.
| The Internet itself is the true common threat, not Microsoft. You cannot blame the White House for leaving Microsoft out of a draft cybersecurity strategy. |
[I] spanked Microsoft security bigwig Howard Schmidt for not attending — yet I also would've spanked him if he had attended... If Schmidt had gone [to an antivirus industry roundtable meeting], somebody would've asked "why doesn't Microsoft solve this virus problem once and for all?" Then all eyes would've stared at Schmidt, and I would've yelled an obvious outburst.Okay, now let's flash forward to the present-day Kobayashi Maru. As you may know, Schmidt's boss held a ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday for a toothless draft of his "National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace." Critics pointed out the fact "it does not point fingers," an Associated Press newswire observed. "In fact, Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, was not mentioned at all during a 90-minute presentation unveiling the strategy, even though many security experts blame problems on its ubiquitous Windows operating system software. Later, Clarke declined to comment on the safety of specific operating systems." A Reuters newswire quoted Computer and Communications Industry Association president Ed Black, who said "it seemed there was an attempt to steer clear of what is the big problem — Windows." I bet the critics gave Schmidt the evil eye during Clarke's three-hour ceremony. "Hey, how much of your soul did you sell to keep Microsoft out of a toothless draft cybersecurity strategy?" Yet if Clarke did name Microsoft in his toothless draft cybersecurity strategy — or if he did call on Bill Gates to save the world during the three-hour unveiling ceremony — then critics would have shot an evil eye at Schmidt just the same. "Hey, where were you when all of this important security stuff needed doing at Microsoft?" Some critics now view Schmidt as a "surrogate lackey" for Bill Gates. If the White House did invite Microsoft to the ribbon cutting ceremony, those critics would say the White House stacked the deck in Redmond's favor. "How come Microsoft gets to send a lackey and a surrogate lackey?" Yet if Schmidt stayed in Washington while everyone else flew to California, the critics would imply he snubbed his boss over a toothless draft document.
| Schmidt's boss spent almost a year drafting this one document alone. And it's still a draft! |
SOME OF YOU may scratch your heads in confusion at this point. "But Rob," you observe, "Gee-Dubya demoted Clarke to be his computer security advisor. Isn't it his job nowadays to write a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace? And didn't Schmidt volunteer to serve as Clarke's lieutenant?" I can't argue with you on those points — but Clarke spent almost a year drafting this one document alone! Schmidt helped with the technical details and lobbyist Harris Miller co-edited it! You'd think the president's right-hand cyber-man could finish one document after almost a year, eh? If Schmidt worked for a real man, I wouldn't feel so bad when he gets shoved into a string of no-win scenarios. Unfortunately, he works for a broken down, flaccid undertaker with 3,000 graves to his credit. And thus I pity Schmidt for each Clarke-driven Kobayashi Maru.
[Continued in part 5:
"The true 'common' threat"]
