Hacked, pwnd and your tax money stolen in 5, 4, 3…

The federal government plans to shut 40 percent of its computer centers over the next four years to reduce its hefty technology budget and modernize the way it uses computers to manage data and provide services to citizens.
[…]
The federal government is the largest buyer of information technology in the world, spending about $80 billion a year. The Obama administration, in plans detailed Wednesday, is taking aim at some of that by closing 800 of its sprawling collection of 2,000 data centers. The savings, analysts say, will translate into billions of dollars a year and acres of freed-up real estate.
[…]
In an interview, Vivek Kundra, chief information officer for the federal government, explained that the data center consolidation was part of a broader strategy to embrace more efficient, Internet-era computing. In particular, the government is shifting to cloud computing, in which users use online applications like e-mail remotely, over the Internet. These cloud services can be provided by the government to many agencies or by outside technology companies.

Tapping cloud computing services, Mr. Kundra said, could save the government an additional $5 billion a year, reducing the need for individual government agencies to buy their own software and hardware.




  1. Dallas says:

    #32 I’m sure you’re quietly impressed with President Obama’s team of experts to revamp the piece of shit, swiss cheese security system left over from the Cheney regime.
    Even Thomas Edison rolled his eyes when he met Cheney.

  2. ECA says:

    STATEMENT:
    “Tapping cloud computing services, Mr. Kundra said, could save the government an additional $5 billion a year, reducing the need for individual government agencies to buy their own software and hardware.”

    And what software to create the documents/information/transaction?
    THE SAME you are already using…

    What software to SHIP it to the cloud and keep it organized?
    MORE of the SAME you are already using..

    Security?? MORE then what you have NOW..

    SERVERS?? I hope you have your own DEDICATED SERVERS…otherwise it will cost MORE.. Backup and Storage and REDUNDANCY???

    I love computer illiterates, TRYING to think better ideas then Computer geeks.

    DO YOU REALLY WANT SAVINGS??
    GOTO LINUX… Make a few customizations and its safer then ALL OF WINDOWS or Mac.

  3. Dallas says:

    #35 Not to be disrespectful but Mr Kundra was

    * awarded tNational Cyber Security Leadership Award for uncovering >$300M each year in wasted federal spending by the Cheney Administration
    * Information Officer of Year InformationWeek
    * InfoWorld top 25 CTO’s in the country.
    * MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Award Finalist
    * Harvard awarded the Innovations in American Government Award

    Whereas you are a buffoon on Dvorak.org

  4. Uncle Patso says:

    While the vast majority of computer users both inside and outside government agencies are clueless regarding security, there are many, many people behind the scenes with the necessary knowledge and skills to prevent this from becoming the fiasco predicted here.

    I’m talking about the crew-cut guy (and his distaff counterpart) who, in the old days would have worn a slide rule case on his belt and a pocket protector and probably still has one or more of each in a box in the garage. These people know each other, and know who in their organization (whether government agency or contractor) has the chops and who doesn’t.

    I’m not saying there won’t be problems — you can’t turn the “Ship of State” on a dime, and there are bound to be snafus, but not on the scale predicted by the dogmatic anti-government-in-any-and-all-forms types.

  5. thetank says:

    He is an “ass-clown”.

  6. Mike B. says:

    Most of our government walks around with their heads in the clouds, anyway.

    Why not move the rest of it there?

  7. GregAllen says:

    interglacial,

    He. he. That quote reminds me of Alan Greenspan!

    But does it make him wrong?

    Is a government workers email account better in the “cloud” or on a server?

    For example — if you have a weak password, it’s easy for someone to steal your email.

    But, on a server, if an IT contractor has a weak password, it is easy to steal everyone’s email.

    Which is worse?

    (Am I even right about this? I am not trying to start a fight here. I really don’t know. )

  8. GregAllen says:

    >> # 35 ECA said, on July 21st, 2011 at 10:57 am
    >> DO YOU REALLY WANT SAVINGS?? GOTO LINUX…

    This is the argument that Richard Clarke makes in hisbook.

    He argues that classified government computers and networks should be non-standard and, thus, harder to hack by Chinese kids on government stipends. This could be accomplished by modifying Linux.

    The computers in government offices could also be Linux-boxes, stripped down to only essential services, thus making them less vulnerable to hacking.

    (For example, if they had been made gov’t computers incompatible with Walmart-bought thumb drives, the Wikileak may never have happened.)

    But, Microsoft gets the contracts because they have the high priced lobbyists. Nobody makes big campaign donations on behalf of Linux.

    (I read it a year ago, so I may be getting this a little wrong.)


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