Fwd: [Infowarrior] - TSA Threatens Congressman For Disclosing 25, 000 Security Breaches

[Paul Ferguson <fergdawgster () gmail com>]

FYI,

- ferg


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
Date: Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 3:45 PM
Subject: [Infowarrior] - TSA Threatens Congressman For Disclosing 25,
000 Security Breaches
To:


TSA Threatens Congressman For Disclosing 25,000 Security Breaches

July 16, 2011 in Featured

http://publicintelligence.net/tsa-threatens-congressman-for-disclosing-25000-security-breaches/

A complete video of the July 13, 2011 hearing in which Rep. Chaffetz
discussed the 25,000 breaches.

Homeland Security to Chaffetz: Stop the leaks of sensitive information
(Washington Post):

The Department of Homeland Security has complained to Rep. Jason
Chaffetz (R-Utah) about what it says was an inappropriate disclosure
of sensitive security information to the press by the House
transportation panel that he chairs.

In a letter dated Wednesday, a clearly miffed Department of Homeland
Security Deputy Counsel Joseph B. Maher told Chaffetz that “sensitive
security information” provided to his subcommittee by the
Transportation Security Administration was illegally disclosed to the
press.

“This document was marked as [Sensitive Security Information],” Maher
wrote, “and provided clear notice that unauthorized disclosures of the
document violated federal law.”

The letter was obtained by the Washington Post from an administration official.

USA Today and other news outlets reported this week that “newly
released” DHS documents revealed 25,000 security breaches at U.S.
airports since November 2001.

Maher called the information on past security breaches “a topic of
particular interest to our adversaries” and said the law against
unauthorized disclosure is designed to protect air travelers.

In an angry response directly to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano late
Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), head of the House Oversight
Committee, called Maher’s assertions “meritless” retaliation for the
committee’s efforts to address “TSA deficiencies.”

Issa called Maher’s letter a “threat to the entire legislative branch
that this administration will seek retribution when non-classified
information is shared with the public.” Issa denied that the security
breach data was classified information. His staff said lawmakers and
open-government groups have long debated whether security
classifications are often used to hide embarrassing information.
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-- 
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawgster(at)gmail.com
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/

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