Congress Gives NSA-Controlled US Cyber Command More Resources

from the keep-feeding-the-beast dept

Tue, Dec 24th 2013 3:45am — Mike Masnick

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.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: appropriations, congress, defense department, keith alexander, nsa, us cyber command

12 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

That One Guy (profile), 24 Dec 2013 @ 2:53am

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.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 3:53am

If anyone is wondering why Google had Mike Masnick shift his focus to the NSA, this article helps explain it:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-23/data-are-money-for-google-to-yahoo-asking-nsa-to-back-of f.html
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Capt ICE Enforcer, 24 Dec 2013 @ 5:23am

Question to Congress.
Really?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

out_of_the_blue, 24 Dec 2013 @ 6:01am

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]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Drew, 24 Dec 2013 @ 9:41am
  
  Re: As I've said all along: no one is going to jail, not a cent will be cut.
  The only thing I hear when you talk is
  Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
  Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
  Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!
  WHAT THE FOX SAY?
  Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
  Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
  Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!
  WHAT THE FOX SAY?
  A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
  A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
  A-hee-ahee ha-hee!
  WHAT THE FOX SAY?
  A-oo-oo-oo-ooo!
  Woo-oo-oo-ooo!
  WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 6:40am

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.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 6:47am

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!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 7:10am

Give those who protect us more resources? The nerve!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- That One Guy (profile), 24 Dec 2013 @ 7:39am
  
  Re:
  'Protect', right...
  
  These days the USG is far more of a threat to the lives and liberty of americans than any nutjob wannabe terrorist could possibly be, so they idea that they're 'here to protect us' is little more than a joke.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 8:16am
    
    Re: Re:
    Yes, one must first destroy that which they protect. This makes sense because everything belongs to them and they are protecting it from you. A similar situation can be seen in their child rearing techniques, break them down with whippings and brainwash with rewards.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
J3ck4l, 24 Dec 2013 @ 8:48am

what a joke
Billions of dollars of a budget and not a clue. I can pull more info open source than the wanna be noobs at Never Seen Anything. What a waste of taxpayer dollars. Maybe the CIA will get to actually do their job once they have been dismantled.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 24 Dec 2013 @ 9:39am

more bribe money to subvert encryption standards. After the snowden revelations they are gonna need a whole lot of bribes to come back from this.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]