6 ms·

General Alexander wearing EFF shirt

109 points by FredericJ 13y ago

jiggy2011 13y ago
Why is a dude wearing a shirt on the front page?
- IBCNU 13y ago
  Probably because he's the most powerful person on the planet wearing a t-shirt which signals that he stands for the very value's most assume he disregards?
  - JoeAcchino 13y ago
    Great, now I'm totally reassured.
    - dllthomas 13y ago
      ... it's still interesting
  - jiggy2011 13y ago
    Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now.
    - throwaway10001 13y ago
      Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now. He's probably heard of you and that's the real power. He may have to do a few searches but he definitely knows more about you than you know about about yourself (you can forget what you said, how you felt or what did--the computer does not)
      - jiggy2011 13y ago
        He is still subservient to the government. And really you would only know the most mundane stuff about me by seeing my google searches.
        alexqgb 13y ago
        Dude, he IS the government.
        jiggy2011 13y ago
        No, he's an employee.
        jleader 13y ago
        "No, he's an employee" ... who likely has access to all his bosses' communications.
        CamperBob2 13y ago
        In the sense that J. Edgar Hoover was an "employee," perhaps.
        wavefunction 13y ago
        go date him if you feel this strongly
      - wavefunction 13y ago
        lul, the computer doesn't see into the mind or the soul, and that's exactly what a guy like this would want you to believe. you're ridiculous if you think a person can be reduced to a model derived from algos
    - dlsym 13y ago
      "Why is a dude wearing a shirt on the front page?" Not sure if... "Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now." OK. Troll.
      - jiggy2011 13y ago
        huh?
    - mindcrime 13y ago
      Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now. Do you think that your having heard of him, or not, has anything to do with how much power he wields? The guy commands the NSA and a big chunk of US military forces. See: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexander-cyberwar/all/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexa...
- whatshisface 13y ago
  "Keith B. Alexander (born December 2, 1951) is the current Director, National Security Agency (DIRNSA), Chief, Central Security Service (CHCSS) and Commander, United States Cyber Command." -wikipedia
- kmm 13y ago
  This is Keith Alexander[0], the current director of the NSA. It's ironic that the person wearing a shirt from a group that strives for digital rights, including privacy, is worn by the Director of an agency that is trying to snoop on all communication. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander
  - rdl 13y ago
    In addition to the SIGINT/spying mission, they also want to secure US (government and private) infrastructure, and need a technically competent workforce to do both missions. So not that hard to understand.
    - jacquesm 13y ago
      I sense a slight conflict of interest.
      - rdl 13y ago
        Internal to NSA that's called the "equities debate". Pretty much fought through the 1990s -- the defense guys won once credit cards needed to be processed online, and 1998-2001 was kind of the golden age, then the Saudis crashed their planes and pretty much from 9/11 on it's been all the offense/SIGINT. Within the government, there were a lot of big pushes through the 2000s (and to today) to do things like disconnecting government from the commercial internet except via specific gateways, get host based intrusion detection on all DoD computers ("HBSS"), ban USB keys (after the Russians started putting nice factory shinkwrapped ones full of malware in the on-base markets in Afghanistan...), etc. I.e. bringing government up to the level of a well-secured private organization.
    - subsystem 13y ago
      Of course you could argue that those aren't necessarily separate missions. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/14/opinion/oe-radack14 http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/14/opinion/oe-radack14
- elorant 13y ago
  Wired had a pretty good article about him the other day. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexander-cyberwar/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexa...
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- edwardunknown 13y ago
  HN went full retard and it isn't coming back.
user24 13y ago
Context: "Nicole Smith, an associate attorney at Tully Rinckey PLLC in Washington, D.C., and a former security clearance investigator"[1] "In a photograph posted online after Snowden revealed himself, his laptop displays a sticker touting the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a longstanding advocate for online rights and staunch opponent of government surveillance. That would have been enough of a warning sign to make it into his file, Smith says"[1] And the EFF respond by showing a picture of the director of the NSA wearing an EFF T-Shirt. [1] http://nation.time.com/2013/06/15/potential-blind-spots-in-clearance-process-that-gave-snowden-top-secret-access/ http://nation.time.com/2013/06/15/potential-blind-spots-in-c...
- Taylorious 13y ago
  More Context: It looks like he was wearing it at devcon to help recruit hackers. I wonder how that worked out for him. http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/27/technology/defcon-nsa/index.htm http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/27/technology/defcon-nsa/index....
  - coderdude 13y ago
    Two things from the article that I want to comment on: >>"In this room, this room right here, is the talent our nation needs to secure cyberspace," Alexander told the standing-room-only audience at DefCon, a grassroots gathering in Las Vegas expected to draw a record 16,000 attendees this year. "We need great talent. We don't pay as high as everybody else, but we're fun to be around." There was an EFF talk at Defcon a long while back where they told us about how the RIAA was recruiting talented hackers to join their ranks. Their warning was that the RIAA wasn't just a bunch of goons. They were hiring among us and we should be more careful about covering our assets. Not completely related but possibly relevant. >>Alexander's appearance is a milestone for DefCon, a hacker mecca with an often-uneasy relationship with the feds. It's not quite as serious as they're describing. With the "Spot the Fed" game being the most obvious nod that there isn't a real uneasiness but rather the rebellious "us vs. them" feeling of hackers vs. government. All very friendly though. I'd imagine most people thought it was neat to be in the same room as the NSA Director.
ferdo 13y ago
The NSA throwing suspicion on EFF, perhaps. Or flashing colors of an NSA honeypot. Or he's just fucking with all of us. Maybe he just likes the shirt.
jdangu 13y ago
appropriate plug: Get your T-shirt or sticker at https://supporters.eff.org/shop https://supporters.eff.org/shop
cschmidt 13y ago
That's from when General Alexander gave a speech at DefCon last year. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57481689-83/nsa-director-finally-greets-defcon-hackers/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57481689-83/nsa-director-fi...
anologwintermut 13y ago
Almost as bad as George Lucas in a Han Short First t-shirt with Harrison Ford[1] [1]http://tshirtwebsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/han-shit-first.jpg http://tshirtwebsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/han-shi...
tptacek 13y ago
The context here is a Time Magazine piece by Andrew Katz suggesting that the EFF sticker on Snowden's laptop should have been a warning sign to Booz Allen, and should have been recorded in his personnel file. Nobody at NSA (or anywhere else in the Executive branch) has cast public aspersions on EFF, at least that I know of.
andor 13y ago
He's also wearing a Casio F-91W on that picture ;-)
- dhx 13y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F91W#Claimed_use_in_terrorism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F91W#Claimed_use_in_terr...
dfc 13y ago
Someone here on HN thought the tor stickers on Snowden's laptop was a reason to believe in tor's security: "Snowden had Tor stickers on his laptop, that sort of lends credence to the fact that NSA doesn't have it down yet on how to id Tor users and it is still a good and reliable anonymity tool." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5880474 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5880474
volume 13y ago
Let's tone down the criticism. the NSA can be hipsters too right?
astangl 13y ago
Poser.

109 points by FredericJ 13y ago

jiggy2011 13y ago

Why is a dude wearing a shirt on the front page?

IBCNU 13y ago
Probably because he's the most powerful person on the planet wearing a t-shirt which signals that he stands for the very value's most assume he disregards?
- JoeAcchino 13y ago
  Great, now I'm totally reassured.
  - dllthomas 13y ago
    ... it's still interesting
- jiggy2011 13y ago
  Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now.
  - throwaway10001 13y ago
    Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now. He's probably heard of you and that's the real power. He may have to do a few searches but he definitely knows more about you than you know about about yourself (you can forget what you said, how you felt or what did--the computer does not)
    - jiggy2011 13y ago
      He is still subservient to the government. And really you would only know the most mundane stuff about me by seeing my google searches.
      - alexqgb 13y ago
        Dude, he IS the government.
        jiggy2011 13y ago
        No, he's an employee.
        jleader 13y ago
        "No, he's an employee" ... who likely has access to all his bosses' communications.
        CamperBob2 13y ago
        In the sense that J. Edgar Hoover was an "employee," perhaps.
        wavefunction 13y ago
        go date him if you feel this strongly
    - wavefunction 13y ago
      lul, the computer doesn't see into the mind or the soul, and that's exactly what a guy like this would want you to believe. you're ridiculous if you think a person can be reduced to a model derived from algos
  - dlsym 13y ago
    "Why is a dude wearing a shirt on the front page?" Not sure if... "Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now." OK. Troll.
    - jiggy2011 13y ago
      huh?
  - mindcrime 13y ago
    Most powerful guy on the planet? I hadn't heard of him until now. Do you think that your having heard of him, or not, has anything to do with how much power he wields? The guy commands the NSA and a big chunk of US military forces. See: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexander-cyberwar/all/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexa...
whatshisface 13y ago
"Keith B. Alexander (born December 2, 1951) is the current Director, National Security Agency (DIRNSA), Chief, Central Security Service (CHCSS) and Commander, United States Cyber Command." -wikipedia
kmm 13y ago
This is Keith Alexander[0], the current director of the NSA. It's ironic that the person wearing a shirt from a group that strives for digital rights, including privacy, is worn by the Director of an agency that is trying to snoop on all communication. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_B._Alexander
- rdl 13y ago
  In addition to the SIGINT/spying mission, they also want to secure US (government and private) infrastructure, and need a technically competent workforce to do both missions. So not that hard to understand.
  - jacquesm 13y ago
    I sense a slight conflict of interest.
    - rdl 13y ago
      Internal to NSA that's called the "equities debate". Pretty much fought through the 1990s -- the defense guys won once credit cards needed to be processed online, and 1998-2001 was kind of the golden age, then the Saudis crashed their planes and pretty much from 9/11 on it's been all the offense/SIGINT. Within the government, there were a lot of big pushes through the 2000s (and to today) to do things like disconnecting government from the commercial internet except via specific gateways, get host based intrusion detection on all DoD computers ("HBSS"), ban USB keys (after the Russians started putting nice factory shinkwrapped ones full of malware in the on-base markets in Afghanistan...), etc. I.e. bringing government up to the level of a well-secured private organization.
  - subsystem 13y ago
    Of course you could argue that those aren't necessarily separate missions. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/14/opinion/oe-radack14 http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/14/opinion/oe-radack14
elorant 13y ago
Wired had a pretty good article about him the other day. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexander-cyberwar/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexa...
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
edwardunknown 13y ago
HN went full retard and it isn't coming back.

user24 13y ago

Context: "Nicole Smith, an associate attorney at Tully Rinckey PLLC in Washington, D.C., and a former security clearance investigator"[1] "In a photograph posted online after Snowden revealed himself, his laptop displays a sticker touting the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a longstanding advocate for online rights and staunch opponent of government surveillance. That would have been enough of a warning sign to make it into his file, Smith says"[1] And the EFF respond by showing a picture of the director of the NSA wearing an EFF T-Shirt. [1] http://nation.time.com/2013/06/15/potential-blind-spots-in-clearance-process-that-gave-snowden-top-secret-access/ http://nation.time.com/2013/06/15/potential-blind-spots-in-c...

Taylorious 13y ago
More Context: It looks like he was wearing it at devcon to help recruit hackers. I wonder how that worked out for him. http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/27/technology/defcon-nsa/index.htm http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/27/technology/defcon-nsa/index....
- coderdude 13y ago
  Two things from the article that I want to comment on: >>"In this room, this room right here, is the talent our nation needs to secure cyberspace," Alexander told the standing-room-only audience at DefCon, a grassroots gathering in Las Vegas expected to draw a record 16,000 attendees this year. "We need great talent. We don't pay as high as everybody else, but we're fun to be around." There was an EFF talk at Defcon a long while back where they told us about how the RIAA was recruiting talented hackers to join their ranks. Their warning was that the RIAA wasn't just a bunch of goons. They were hiring among us and we should be more careful about covering our assets. Not completely related but possibly relevant. >>Alexander's appearance is a milestone for DefCon, a hacker mecca with an often-uneasy relationship with the feds. It's not quite as serious as they're describing. With the "Spot the Fed" game being the most obvious nod that there isn't a real uneasiness but rather the rebellious "us vs. them" feeling of hackers vs. government. All very friendly though. I'd imagine most people thought it was neat to be in the same room as the NSA Director.

ferdo 13y ago

The NSA throwing suspicion on EFF, perhaps. Or flashing colors of an NSA honeypot. Or he's just fucking with all of us. Maybe he just likes the shirt.

jdangu 13y ago

appropriate plug: Get your T-shirt or sticker at https://supporters.eff.org/shop https://supporters.eff.org/shop

cschmidt 13y ago

That's from when General Alexander gave a speech at DefCon last year. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57481689-83/nsa-director-finally-greets-defcon-hackers/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57481689-83/nsa-director-fi...

anologwintermut 13y ago

Almost as bad as George Lucas in a Han Short First t-shirt with Harrison Ford[1] [1]http://tshirtwebsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/han-shit-first.jpg http://tshirtwebsites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/han-shi...

tptacek 13y ago

The context here is a Time Magazine piece by Andrew Katz suggesting that the EFF sticker on Snowden's laptop should have been a warning sign to Booz Allen, and should have been recorded in his personnel file. Nobody at NSA (or anywhere else in the Executive branch) has cast public aspersions on EFF, at least that I know of.

andor 13y ago

He's also wearing a Casio F-91W on that picture ;-)

dhx 13y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F91W#Claimed_use_in_terrorism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F91W#Claimed_use_in_terr...

dfc 13y ago

Someone here on HN thought the tor stickers on Snowden's laptop was a reason to believe in tor's security: "Snowden had Tor stickers on his laptop, that sort of lends credence to the fact that NSA doesn't have it down yet on how to id Tor users and it is still a good and reliable anonymity tool." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5880474 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5880474

volume 13y ago

Let's tone down the criticism. the NSA can be hipsters too right?

astangl 13y ago

Poser.