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Between the Lines

Larry Dignan, Andrew Nusca and Rachel King

Wikileaks effect on global data security views limited at best

By | December 21, 2010, 3:26am PST

The information security story behind Wikileaks—unsecured data was easily leaked in the battlefield—is well known, but few folks are rethinking their data protection procedures.

That’s the big takeaway from a global ZDNet poll tracking the Wikileaks aftermath. The Wikileaks incident spurred 40 percent of U.S. readers to at least think about better security procedures. Across the globe, 20 percent or so was the norm. Apparently, only the U.S. military is worried about removable media. Your shop must be just swell.

As noted last week, the U.S. audience is conflicted about Wikileaks. Across the globe, however, Wikileaks support abound by a sizeable majority.

Generally speaking, Wikileaks enjoys wide support everywhere but in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., 51 percent said they supported Wikileaks publishing confidential documents. In Japan, that percentage was 59.8 percent. From there the support picked up. In Germany, 88.6 percent of ZDNet readers support Wikileaks’ effort. In Australia, 83.9 percent supported publishing confidential documents. China, France and the U.K. all checked in with support above 70 percent.

Meanwhile, 45.5 percent and 42.6 percent of ZDNet users in France and Germany, respectively, supported denial-of-service attacks as a viable form of public protest. Note that question was disallowed in China.

ZDNet’s global Wikileaks poll

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Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

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Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

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RE: Wikileaks effect on global data security views limited at best
birumut Updated - 17th Jun
Great!!! thanks for sharing this information to us!
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Unscientific polls mean little
HollywoodDog 21st Dec 2010
This was conducted on ZDNet viewers - an unrepresentative sample of IT folks in general. And it relied on everyone voting and only voting once. Likely, those who voted were already really interested in the issue, so again it's unrepresentative.

Those kinds of polls are fun for entertainment purposes only.
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"Unrepresentative"?

I've got a dollar that says if the results agreed with your "Assange Walks Upon Water!" beliefs, you would not be calling the poll "Unrepresentative".
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I just can't believe this...
bsit@... 21st Dec 2010
@Hallowed are the Ori
When ever I see these sorts of emotional personal (often right wing) attacks against someone else's opinion I am reminded of Communists who do exactly the same. Baseless emotional attacks by right wing politicians or others are not helpful and make the accuser look childish. They claim Assange is a communist or a Terrorist - what a load of childish emotional tantrums. The USA calls anything it does not like a ?terrorist? now. It no longer means anything. It was YOUR own forces that released this info, not Assange. And plenty of other papers and sites have released this tuff as well. Why "kill" Assange for keeping Democracies as honest and open as they claim to be. Only despots, communists and dictators hide things and murder innocent messengers and we criticise them for it. Don?t encourage Democracies to become as Communist as China. Assange has not hurt anyone but a few egos. Unlike the criminal and greedy USA Bankers and Financiers who destroyed the US economy and others and caused so many to loose everything and led to the death of hundreds if not thousands from suicide as a direct result of their traitorous borderless greedy actions. What did they get? For starters you paid them billions in bonuses for destroying your country and causing so many deaths. They are not repentant and no changes have been made to stop them doing it again. They did far more harm to you and your country than Wikileaks could ever do or has done. Get over the embarrassment, fix your internal leaks BUT make certain your government becomes more Democratic than they have been so far as these leaks show.
because SYN FLOODING poses 0 that is ZERO security issues. but ignorant news casters keep referring to FLOODING as HACKING so dummies think it is a security risk.
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@bspurloc what happens if those syn floods cause the server to crash, (seen it happen) and that causes a loss of data? (seen that happen too). just because what you are doing doesnt cause any damage, doesnt mean that there isnt collateral damage...
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not worried
gdstark13 Updated - 21st Dec 2010
I'm not worried because my company isn't overseas bombing innocent people. I'm just saying...

gary
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@gdstark13 really? REALLY? you think that has anything to do with this? that may have been assange's excuse for releasing completely useless data that we already knew. but not that topic of discussion here. and if you arent concerned about your data, then you are just a fool
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really...
gdstark13 21st Dec 2010
@nickdangerthirdi@...

I'm concerned about our data, but no more than before the Wikileaks thing, which is how I understood the question. My point is that you're GONNA make enemies in the world if you drop bombs on people, so situations like wikileaks aren't really a surprise.

As for releasing what you call "completely useless data that we already knew", I would disagree. I knew in my gut that my government was incompetent, but based on how most people vote, apparently I was in a minority. So anything to break the status quo is welcome news to me.

gary
@nickdangerthirdi@... Of course Assange is infuriated by gunships killing families that stop to help a wounded man. Are you OK with this? Those damn Good Samaritans had it coming I guess.
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@gdstark@... what new information did you find out from the releases? because I already knew that government was incompetent as well, but I do have some idea of how incompetent, and I too am in the minority when it comes to how the rest of the people vote, but I still havent learned any new information from the releases, so to me they are useless.

@shis-ka-bob do you really think that we want there to be mistakes? are you that dumb that you think everyone who opposes assange and wikileaks just wants innocent people getting killed? you are a sad person if you do. If you have ever read any of my posts you would know that I would have more respect for wikileaks if it was actually releasing things the government was hiding, but I already knew this stuff, there hasnt been one story released that I wasnt already aware of to some extent. I never said the government doesnt make mistakes, in fact I believe the government is a mistake, My issue with assange is he's not doing anything to help make the world better, he is a teenage girl telling 2 friends what they have each said about each other in and effort to break up their friendship, (yes I realize that is not is purpose, but thats all he is accomplishing)
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Wikileaks and US data security
oldsparks 21st Dec 2010
All the talk about whether Wikileaks was right or wrong to release classified documents misses the point. Whatever happened to "the need to know". This concept used to be at the core of all governmental organizations handling classified material.
The very idea that diplo traffic which is sent from US embassies to the State Department, should then be sent on to the Pentagon just leaves me gobsmacked. Even the fact that all this material was aggregated appalls me. One would expect that the specialist offices within the State Department would keep tight hold of information sent to them, and use it to give advice when asked.
Whilst in no way condoning Wikileaks release of classified material, I can only say that the way that the U.S. currently handles classified material is reminiscent of a banana republic. It certainly was not like this some decades ago.
@oldsparks

Good point. I would say that the only thing worse than a misguided government would be an efficient misguided government. I'm actually glad they're not (as you so aptly pointed out).

gary
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@gdstark13
During my random journeys (on the Internet) I came across a quote which is applicable.

A practical observation on the risks of stupidity was made by the German General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord in Truppenfhrung, 1933:

"I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the industrious, and the stupid."
"Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities."
"Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments."
"Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy."
"The man who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has the temperament and nerves to deal with all situations."
"But whoever is stupid and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!"
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@oldsparks As normal these days our media is almost as bad as our government. Who really cares about the publisher of Wikileaks being in then out of jail in England for crimes committed in Switzerland; what about the reduced SP4 (now PFC) who was able to take HIS PC into a classified area and copy classified material. This has nothing to do with IT security, this is purely a personnel failure. Not a break down, a FAILURE. And not just one man, his chain of command should, must, carry a portion of the blame. Just an old military cop's opinion.
wcsmithiii
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RE: Wikileaks effect on global data security views limited at best
nickdangerthirdi@... Updated - 21st Dec 2010
@wcsmithiii@... I agree, as much as I disagree with assange and wikileaks, this was a failure on our own part.
@oldsparks ... Don't know about you, but I haven't met a competent gov employee yet, they all leave pool of drool on the floor.

Until the gov IT dept gets an IQ over 10 points the USA will continue to have leaks and no security. It's pitiful.
@Reality Bites
I take offense to your statements. How many government employees do you know? And, for your information, there are excellent IT personnel in government. A broad brush is just that. Let me take a swipe: I'll bet that to the people who know you, you are "not all that" either!
@oldsparks
Being authorized and having a need to know are still in force. The one thing that has changed is the information is now on a computer disk drive vice being locked away in a safe. Not a bad idea, just need more controls.

While in a safe, it was eisier to prevent access. You can decide who got the combination. Also, whenever I needed to work on classified, I always let other authorized persons know it. They could keep an eye on me and also alert me if unauthorized persons entered our office, so I could secure the documents I'm working on.

This young soldier should had never been allowed the access that he had. Furthermore his supervisor should have been notified each time he needed to access classified information. Also, no disk, usb sticks, sd cards, other external devices should have been allowed into or taken out of the classified area, without up channeling. These are the rules we will more than likely see implemented. The system is good; the controls stink!
Why can't they leak more important information. like the names and addresses of all the oil speculators. I'd like to visit them
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RE: Wikileaks effect on global data security views limited at best
nickdangerthirdi@... Updated - 21st Dec 2010
@cmon101 good point, if Wikileaks was more than teenage girl trying to start a fight among 2 other friends I would probably have more respect for it, but honestly there is nothing that was "leaked" that was new and informative, in fact most of it our own government had already told us, perhaps not worded in the same discreet ways, but still the same crap. And lets not forget that the reason all this information was accessible to this soldier is because of the 9-11(no jackholes not the terrorists) and the fact that the government wanted more information to get passed between the departments after the attack, so the thing that was supposed to help prevent another attack has created a major security hole...
@cmon101
Exactly! It's like the world has forgotten about the huge economic mess triggered by that huge artificial rise in oil prices.
yeah well .....

while Europeons may think Highly of Wikileaks ... I wonder if their Diplomatic Chatter were being aired, if they would still be so supportive .....
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You will not see Wikileaks go after Europe.
Hates Idiots 21st Dec 2010
@cammobus@... Only the US has 1st Amendment protections this guy can hide behind..

Every other western nation including France, Canada, the UK and every member of the EU can throw you in jail for something like this.

There would be no debate over rights.
@Hates Idiots

This is not so linear... but explain me this:
How can USA accuse one citizen from Australia, living in Sweden, of betrayal? Just cant understand...

Regards from Portugal
@Hates Idiots he's not from the USA. If an Aussie did this to the eu then the result would be the same since he's not from that country.
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@Hates Idiots yeah he cant hide behind the US constitution since he isnt a citizen, but even then, he would still be guilty of receiving stolen property at the least. trust me, they will find a crime to accuse him of, the trick is making it something they can extradite him to the US for. They can still try him in US courts, he just doesnt get to use the constitution in his defense.
We do have a new world unified government called the Internet. And it's good to "grok" on even unscientific/anecdotal data like this.
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internet is not government
gdstark13 21st Dec 2010
@rick@...

The internet is a form of free speech, not a form a government. So by definition bad governments and the internet will clash.

gary
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@rick@...

I wonder how many people got that reference right off the bat. Long live 'Stranger...'
@steve.rentageek@... Very few i'd bet, very few
Sure! And when you believe China supports the leaking of classified information, I believe the end of the world is comming LOL
Why so afraid of the thruth?
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Who Cares?
omthoke 21st Dec 2010
WikiLeaks isn't the only big thing -- there are millions of phishing attacks people need to worry about!
I am wondering what happend to the interesting stuff like:
TRUTH about 911, UFO'S, & who killed princess diana.
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What bothers me most about this poll, even if it's not completely accurate, is that there are organizations who are NOT concerned about security. Anyone in a position of data stewardship who doesn't care about this is guilty of gross professional malfeasance! If you collect or store data, you have an obligation to ensure that it is used in a responsible manner, including protecting it from unauthorized viewers. This applies to commercial organizations, not just government.
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of course
Jimster480 21st Dec 2010
Other countries support wikileaks its not their data that is being leaked.
This is an idiotic statement by someone, I hope, was speaking tounge in cheek; but this no laughing matter. Of course, he has no government supporters. Intelligent people know that if this cyber thug will release information about one country, he will release information about their country. His sentence, once justice is metered, will bear this out. Stay tuned; judgement day is a mother.
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You get what you pay for
Mahegan 21st Dec 2010
Those comments that imply that government employees are a few sandwiches short of a picnic forget that the military is an employee of the government.
Also, noting many opinions in these posts, is that taxes should not be paid.
So, as members of a democratic society you (yes, you) have voted to pay peanuts to peanuts and you expect your stupid empire to survive!
I am truly wondering whether it is the government employee who is brainless in all of this.
Even outsourcing doesn't supply any answers - would you want the Chinese or Indians (='south Asians') running the show?
Could the military be run as a profit making corporation WITHOUT costing taxpayers anything?
I doubt it - the military doesn't produce anything useful.

So, how are you going to get around your self-inflicted stupidity?
i personally felt that some of the opinions the us government had about european politicians were not so far from the truth, like that mrs. Merkel is "boring" for example. As a citizen in the european union I often feel "honesty is a lonely word", so to hear some truth cannot hurt! After all US politicans are only made out of flesh and blood too, why should we condemn them for this?
Au Contraire ...

Following some very damning revelations from the pages of Wikileaks, it seems to me that the planet's political class is striving very hard indeed to find more effective ways to cover up its lies and evil doings.

However, I feel it is much more significant, not to mention depressing, that not one of our "leaders" seems in the least bit interested in the concept of better governance.

Perhaps if politicians genuinely cared about honest and open government, then there would be less to cover up in the first place?

Best wishes & Merry Christmas. G.
I am getting more and more disgusted with zdnet's sensationalism lately. Who is paying you to write this crap?
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Wikileaks is fun!
epcraig 22nd Dec 2010
It's with great enjoyment that I read where my government so misread foreign public opinion, amplified by occasions when they appear to read situations correctly and perceptively and reported such under the impression that nobody can report this in public.
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National Security
Catherine29 22nd Dec 2010
It is a warning call for all the organizations as far as information dissemination is concerned...Recently I came across an interesting blog pertaining to Wikileaks.It gives insights relating to issues like the latest disclosures and security breaches...to read further please refer the following link http://www.identitysecurityandaccessblog.com/
@Catherine29: The link given above is very informative regarding the whole wikileaks issue. This blog talks about the security intended and what is actually implemented and where we all lack in this whole procedure.
bombing innocent people and hiding informationfrom public is more harmful then data security.
When hackers chased Wikileaks onto Amazon's cloud, those hackers were unable to continue (but then Amazon succumbed to political pressure from Joe Lieberman's office). This means that all the hype about the benefits of cloud computing are real. Meanwhile, who knew that hacktivists could so easily take down Visa and Mastercard servers responsible card-swipe transactions? I'll bet those companies are quietly building clouds NOW.
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Think of what they (in any country) could get up to if they could keep secrets!
Great!!! thanks for sharing this information to us!
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