funsec mailing list archives

standard government excuses #5 Re: House staffer accidentally leaks


From: Gadi Evron <ge () linuxbox org>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:51:55 +0200

Larry Seltzer wrote:
http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/10/house_ethics_committee_documen.php

 

According to a statement released by the US House of Representatives 
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, often known as the Ethics 
Committee, a document describing investigations of over 30 house members 
and several aides was exposed on a public network because of "...the use 
of peer-to-peer file sharing software on the personal computer of a 
junior staffer, who is no longer employed by the committee, while 
working from home."


Standard Government Excuses #5.

 From Yes Minister:

5 Standard Excuses in Government

1. There is a perfectly satisfactory explanation for everything but 
security prevents its disclosure (used in the Anthony Blunt case);

2. It has only gone wrong because of heavy cuts in staff and budget 
which have stretched supervisory resources beyond the limit (the 
Comprehensive Schools excuse);

3. It was a worthwhile experiment now abandoned, but not before it 
provided much valuable data and considerable employment (used for Concorde);

4. It occurred before certain important facts were known and could not 
happen again (the Munich Agreement excuse with the important fact being 
that Hitler wanted to conquer Europe);

5. It was an unfortunate lapse by an individual now being dealt with 
under internal disciplinary procedures (the Charge of the Light Brigade 
excuse).

        Gadi.


-- 
Gadi Evron,
ge () linuxbox org.

Blog: http://gevron.livejournal.com/
_______________________________________________
Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts.
https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec
Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.


Current thread: