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RE: Hacker named to Homeland Security Advisory Council

edwards.wb 8th Jun 2009

Ok, let's move past the knee-jerk reactions to the news, as well as the stereotypical definitions of "Hacker" *cough*Algzdnet*cough.

I think this move is a step in the right direction; it means that the new administration realizes that the issues facing our nation's security are not best handled by politicians pandering for votes but by the best of the best in the very nuanced fields of security.

Jeff Moss is a security professional, with a clear personal interest in cyber-security. I wouldn't trust a home security company to say that they've tested my house and that they think it's impossible to penetrate.

Furthermore, Jeff Moss is not a crook, or a criminal, he is a security professional with a BA in Criminal Justice. His "hacking" experience comes from security work for Ernst & Young, as well as contract gigs testing computer systems for various companies.

I, personally, feel much more comfortable with the fact that the newest administration isn't so pompous as to think that they are experts on cyber security, the economy, foreign affairs, etc. and that they're willing to actually hire and bring people into the administration who are experts in the aforementioned fields.

Personally I study security in my free time, not to steal millions of dollars, but because I enjoy studying it, I enjoy the knowledge I glean as I learn the strengths and weaknesses of various information structures, operating systems, networking protocols, etc. Long story short, "hackers" are not all criminal masterminds; some are even on the "good" side.