[1568] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Internet paranoia
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (MSgt Stephen E. Cramer HQ TAC/LGSW)
Sun Nov 10 08:39:00 1991
Date: Sun Nov 10 08:22:56 1991
From: cramer@charly.taclog.af.mil (MSgt Stephen E. Cramer HQ TAC/LGSWA DSN 574-2105)
To: LAWS@ai.sri.com
Cc: com-priv%psi.com@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL, 3b2-ug@gunter-emh.af.mil
X-Orig-From: Ken Laws <LAWS@ai.sri.com>
In reply to your message:
> Let's take the MILNET severing seriously, for the moment. Would it
> really hurt anyone? The internet is a dynamic, growing entity. Its
> rate of evolution is incredible, and the miltary can buy commercial
> hardware and software cheaper than they get custom-made, MIL-spec,
> tempest-tested systems. But they also need security. So let them
> buy both! They can have crude secure systems and separate desktop
> PCs hooked to the internet. When they absolutely have to transfer
> files, sneakernet (i.e., floppies) will do for bridging the two nets.
> And if that isn't good enough, the military can procure secure local
> bridges that make temporary connections to the internet. Why do they
> need full-time, centrally maintained servers?
>
> -- Ken
Ken,
I'm not sure you understand what it would mean for _us_. I
don't know about the majority, but I get a lot of good PD UNIX
software. I get it from places like watsun.cc.columbia.edu, and a
score of others that are not on the MILNET. I get interest group
lists like INFO-ADA, DBASE-L, and VIRUS-L that do not originate from
MILNET. I get the AP/UPI news feeds that also don't originate from
inside MILNET. We get patches for commercial DOS software because
some people who access places like CompuServe take the time to
upload those patches to places like the SIMTEL20 archives. Most of
those who upload files do not have access to MILNET, but rather
internet.
Not everything we do is of a secretive nature. Quite the
contrary, the vast majority is unclassified. We may not advertise
what we do on a daily basis, but that does not necessitate putting
the "classified" label on everything we send or receive
electronically. Even if we were cut off from internet, MILNET would
still be an easy target for electronic surveillance. We have had
classifed networks for quite some time. We don't need to isolate
MILNET from the rest of the world in the interest of security.
So now, I ask you: what does it really matter???
+------------------------------------------------+----------------------+
|Stephen E. Cramer, MSgt, USAF | |
|HQ TAC/LGSWA, Langley AFB, VA 23665 | () |
|cramer@charly.taclog.af.mil/cramer@taclg.af.mil | /\ _/_ |
|Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know | / ) / _ , __/> |
|how it's done, they've seen it done every day, | /__/__<__</_\/ (__ |
|but they're unable to do it themselves. | |
| - Brendan Behan | |
+------------------------------------------------+----------------------+
