Susanne Posel
Occupy Corporatism
February 14, 2013
Just two days ago, President Obama signed executive order (EO) “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity” which outlines “the need for improved cybersecurity” because of “repeated cyber intrusions into critical infrastructure.”
Cyber-attacks pose “one of the most serious national security challenges” according to the EO. Obama is seeking to strengthen “national and economic security” by enhancing “the security and resilience of the Nation’s critical infrastructure and to maintain a cyber-environment that encourages efficiency, innovation, and economic prosperity while promoting safety, security, business confidentiality, privacy, and civil liberties.”
This EO binds “the owners and operators of critical infrastructure” in a partnership with the federal government “to improve cybersecurity information sharing and collaboratively develop and implement risk-based standards.”
Through the Presidential Policy Directive-1 (PPD1), the Organization of the National Security Council System (NSCS) will be empowered to communicate with various agencies within the federal government to design programs and establish functions as outlined in “periodic in-progress reviews” to ensure cybersecurity.
Private sector corporations will be expected to provide the federal government with information about cyber threats. With notification provided to Eric Holder, the US Attorney General and James Clapper the director of National Intelligence (NI) instructions on how to deal with cyber threats will be disseminated; along with unclassified reports in an effort to protect “the US homeland”.
These instructions will be given to law enforcement agencies to outline how to protect intelligence, methods approved by the federal government, operations and specified investigators to be used for these purposes.
This EO also expands the Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program that partners with the Department of Defense (DoD), the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Corporations can voluntarily apply for the DIB and purchase services on security for networks. Corporations who provide contact information for the federal government regarding DIB are AT&T and CenturyLink.
The sharing of information from the private sector to the federal government will exponentially increase under the guise of cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure.
Civil liberties are “protected” unless the federal government finds a necessity for information on US citizens. What is protected under civil liberties will be decided by the Chief Privacy Officer and the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of DHS.
DHS will consult with “the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council; Sector Coordinating Councils; critical infrastructure owners and operators; Sector-Specific Agencies; other relevant agencies; independent regulatory agencies; State, local, territorial, and tribal governments; universities; and outside experts” to advise on cybersecurity.
The director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop “framework to reduce cyber risks to critical infrastructure” called “Cybersecurity Framework” (CSF) that will “include a set of standards, methodologies, procedures, and processes that align policy, business, and technological approaches to address cyber risks.”
The CSF will be based on “voluntary international standards” and “shall incorporate voluntary consensus standards and industry best practices.” By creating an integrated network cross-sectioned with private and federal networks, the CSF will identify threats, manage cyber risks, instill applicable guidelines and advise on improvements for the future through collaboration with specified organizations and corporations.
The DHS and National Security staff will oversee the CSF.
In the State of the Union address, Obama laid out his intentions for cybersecurity as described in the EO above that restricts the free-flow of information on the internet.
Through Big Brother controls established in the EO, surveillance on online activities will increase at the whim of the federal government with the catch-all of protecting national and cyber security as justification for all actions taken therein.
Real-time sharing of digital information on US citizens between the federal government and state and local law enforcement agencies will become the norm as the recommendations of interagency heads decide what will happen.
Obama admonished Congress to plan to re-introduce the controversial CISPA information-sharing bill. CISPA empowers Facebook, Google and other corporations to hand over information concerning US citizens through incentives (or bribes).
In April of 2012, Obama threatened to veto CISPA with a public declaration that “the Obama administration opposes CISPA. The president has called for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. There is absolutely a need for comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. [But] part of what has been communicated to congressional committees is that we want legislation to come with necessary protections for individuals.”
The EO has outlined the “framework” for more construction with regard to restrictions on the internet in the name of cybersecurity. Intelligence sharing is immediately applicable through private corporations to combat cyber-attacks and cyber threats for the protection of national security, the economy and other nations that have become reliant on the US for financial support.
Although what constitutes a “cyberthreat” or cyber-attack” has not been clearly defines by the EO, it is obvious that the work of Anonymous and other hacker groups have facilitated the need for such a measure.
Operation Last Resort culminated in the hacking of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the US Sentencing Commission (USSC); as well as the publication of information on the internet that was syphoned from the Federal Reserve Bank.
However, knowing that these groups are funded by the CIA and actually have members of the CIA in their group changes the meaning of these measures to eradicate them. They become a false flag operation that will only end in the restriction of American liberties.
Considering that the US government has been making ample attempts to control or shut down the internet, it appears the logical conclusion that these groups are working toward that end.
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