House Passes Ban On File Sharing Use By Government Employees
from the sharing-is-bad,-you-see dept
For a few years now, one of the tactics of the entertainment industry to get another foot in the legislative door towards outlawing file sharing programs, is to push ridiculous stories about how secret gov't documents were showing up on file sharing networks. Of course, there's a reason why that's happening: clueless gov't staffers not being careful. But, in typical Congressional fashion, the response is to overreact, very much at the urging (and legislative guidance) of the entertainment industry. After trying for a few years, it looks like the industry has been marginally successful this time. Slashdot points out that the House has passed legislation that would bar government employees from using file sharing, but notes that the language of the bill is so broad that it likely forbids all sorts of useful applications.Of course, this was only passed in the House, and it looks like the Senate is going in a different direction -- instead preferring an equally pointless bill that would require any file sharing software (again, so broadly worded that it would include browsers, FTP software, backup software, etc.) to pop up an alert that you would have to click every time you opened the software.
Hey Congress, here's a better idea: instead of passing dumb laws with serious unintended consequences, why not have a bit of basic computer security training for your staffers so they don't do idiotic things like putting top secret plans in a shared folder?
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Filed Under: congress, file sharing
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Sort of like people losing their jobs for surfing porn - it's not their computer, the rules are there, so they only have themselves to blame.
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While some users do actually pay attention in training, a lot do what they can to breeze through so they can get back to their desks. I believe a reliance on training for all users to allow all users to have access to P2P software is just as problematic as banning the software for all users.
I think a ban is acceptable with one caveat - exceptions can be requested and easily granted. Where I work, our machines are regularly scanned for unapproved software. If it's detected, you get an email saying "XX app was detected. If there is a valid reason for using this software, please submit an exemption request via {link}". Requests go to your manager and if approved, on to IT.
Most people won't bother. The ones that need it, will. It works for us (30,000+ employees worldwide), they should be able to make it work for the government.
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Govenrments shouldn't share files because some files might be top secret. They should also stop sharing documents too. And information.
The public gets what the public wants, after all.
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This is a nice reminder that the content industries monitor news sites and respond anonymously with ridiculous lies to any story that makes them look bad.
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The various entertainment industry lobbyists have been pushing bills like this for five years now... In this case, the lobbyists for Arts+Labs pushed the story of P2P leaking helicopter secrets to the press relentlessly, and entertainment industry folks spoke out in favor of this bill.
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Self Incrimination
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Re: Self Incrimination
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Government Training
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Re: Government Training
Well, you can. Once again, I say that using a government computer (or not your own) you shouldn't be using p2p software.
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Sometimes you need actual rules/laws to stop stupid people (speaking as a sysadmin here - users are *brainless*).
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Your comment and general attitude is typical of many users who think they know more than the admins. it's probably why your admins/security people don't like you.
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Re: Government Training
I, for one, think this is a good idea only because i know people are generally idiots, and they will share top secret information on p2p networks.
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They claimed that government documents were on P2P networks, but I could never find a claim that that's how they originally leaked. They could have come out a million different ways, and simply ended up posted on a tracker by an amateur snoop.
This makes their bill seem even more pointless.
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Re: Government Training
This is the legal use for filesharing, not the omgwtfpirateeeeeessss!!!! use that congress has been shown in a picture paper clipped to a big check.
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Perhaps a whiteliest instead of blacklist = *
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Seperation between personal and work
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Re: Seperation between personal and work
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TFTFY
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Fundamentally Flawed
According to the article: "We can no longer ignore the threat to sensitive government information, businesses, and consumers that insecure peer-to-peer networks pose," Towns said in the statement. "Securing federal computer files is critical to our national security."
If the real concern is security, then the obvious solution would be to have your IT department develop a secure computer. Passing a law that criminalizes certain behavior fundamentally does not actually improve security.
I guess this is a case of putting lipstick on a pig and hoping that nobody will notice.
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Re: Tony
I think we can safely substitute "politically embarrassing" for "Top Secret" in terms of the data in the minds of the members of Congress who voted for this bill.
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Great
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Re: Great
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No Big Deal At all
There is nothing that P2P can offer that I can't accomplish by the provided web sites available to me. Except, to share the latest "new movie" not available on DVD yet!
For those who feel that a work provided computer and access should be used however you feel, there are plenty (Not as many lately) of other jobs out there with much more lax rules.
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H.R.4098 Secure Federal File Sharing Act via
http://theweekincongress.com/member/MAR10_FULL/HR4098SECUREhMAR26.htm
About users. Yes, some are clueless and should not have a computer but on
average most users get blindsided at least once. Security lives and dies by
keeping that locked down.
P2P software: My experience in a federal position taught me that P2P should
only be used by or under control of IT and or Software Engineering
personnel. There is little need at the user level for configuring client
software. If the correctly configured client cannot be modified then the P2P
network is secure. May be more secure than older methods like "secure FTP".
It is not the technology that is bad it is the misuse of or the lack of skill by
the installer that is bad. Both are governed by existing law and regulations.
Done.
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