The nerds strike back, part one

CNET.com has run an excellent three part series, October 18-20, on issues of technology, security, and privacy. The link is here; from there you can go to all three parts. To give you a sense, here are brief excerpts.

From part one, "Throwing money at technology:"

As with any political initiatives that are relatively free of opposition, homeland security programs have the potential to spin out of control without adequate oversight. That, in turn, could slow the fight against terrorism by wasting crucial resources and distracting government bodies from the mission at hand. ...

In a June report, the nonprofit National Taxpayers Union estimated that more than half of new homeland security funding since 2001 - $164 billion - is being spent on programs unrelated to defense or response to terrorist attacks. As an example, the organization cited the renaming of the Agriculture Act of 2001 as the "Farm Security Act" after Sept. 11.

"As if chickpeas, lentils and mohair have anything to do with national security. One congressman even stated that a peanut subsidy, with a $3.5 billion price tag, 'strengthens America's national security,'" the 335,000-member group said. "Members of Congress have been cloaking old-fashioned pork in the robes of 'security' for the 'homeland.'"

From part two, "Companies profiting from fear:"

For companies like Kroll, terror means big business.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, the global consulting firm signed multimillion-dollar federal contracts to vet the backgrounds of Customs and airport personnel for the Department of Homeland Security. The company has since posted double-digit annual revenue growth and saw its stock price quadruple through July....

And from part three, "A global assault on anonymity:"

Privacy organizations have fought an uphill battle on Fourth Amendment protections since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, particularly in the area of high-tech surveillance. But the debate has taken on particular urgency with advancements in "data mining," a technology used to identify patterns based on the millions of bits of information stored in public and commercial computer systems. ...

In theory, data-mining technologies are supposed to yield millions of bits of information on background and activities, creating patterns that might eventually help authorities identify terrorists before they strike. But no technology is perfect, and civil-rights advocates warn about the prospect of bad data and "false positives," or an incorrect identification match, in an era when terrorist suspects are held for months or years without being charged.

I recommend this important series.