star5112/Flickr under a CC license
To privacy advocates, Google plus the National Security Agency is a
frightening combination. To techies, the fact that Google would need the NSA's
cyber-security help is stupefying. After all, doesn't Google
employ the world's most brilliant, tech-savvy minds? ZDNet's
Sam Diaz raises the question:
I mean no disrespect to my country or my government but I have to
ask: Is Washington really the best choice if you're looking for help
with something as serious as cyber security. After all, I wouldn't
exactly place any Washington agency at the cutting edge when it comes
to fighting what was referred to as one of the most sophisticated cyber
attacks experts had ever seen.
I'd be willing to bet that Google, as well as other tech companies
in Silicon Valley, are far better equipped for fighting a technological
war...
Is Diaz selling the government short? Wired's
Noah Shachtman says the NSA's cyber chops are nothing to sneeze at:
The National Security Agency is widely understood to have the
government's biggest and smartest collection of geeks -- the guys that
are more skilled at network warfare than just about anyone on the
planet. So, in a sense, it's only natural that Google would turn to the NSA
after the company was hit by an ultrasophisticated hack attack. After
all, the military has basically done the same thing, putting the NSA in
charge of its new "Cyber Command." The Department of Homeland Security is leaning heavily on the NSA to secure .gov networks.
