Former NSA Chief Warned Against Selling NSA Secrets 138
An anonymous reader writes Former NSA Chief General Keith Alexander has apparently started his own cybersecurity consulting firm, IronNet Cybersecurity, and approached the banking industry pitching his company's suite of services. Word from Wired indicates that his services cost $1 million per month with a special discount asking price of $600,000 per month. Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) expressed concern about General Alexander's activities to the banking industry, stating, "I question how Mr. Alexander can provide any of the services he is offering unless he discloses or misuses classified information, including extremely sensitive sources and methods....Without the classified information he acquired in his former position, he literally would have nothing to offer to you." (PDF) The congressman from the House of Representatives reminds the bankers (and General Alexander, should he be listening) that selling top secret information is a federal offense.
remind me (Score:4, Interesting)
Am I confused, or is this the same amoral sack of shit who lied to Congress with a straight face about NSA activities???
Re:Laugh-worthy (Score:5, Interesting)
It is? Odd that someone as insignificant as me has it in his contract that any kind of "internal knowledge" he gains (and, bluntly, if an exploit isn't considered internal knowledge in a TLA, what is?) must not be used outside of very well defined areas of work for at the very least 2 years, while someone as the NSA head honcho gets a free pass to use such knowledge as he pleases.
Re:Try him and not Snowden then (Score:5, Interesting)
It's very un-American to do something without the plan to profit from it!
Re:Try him and not Snowden then (Score:0, Interesting)
Check Snowpup's offshore bank accounts and lifetime annuity from the Soviets before claiming he made no personal profit. You really think someone is not paying him? Got a nice bridge to sell you while you're shopping :/
Re:remind me (Score:5, Interesting)
Am I confused, or is this the same amoral sack of shit who lied to Congress with a straight face about NSA activities???
Yep. Circumventing the law, lying to Congress, sounds like a perfect match for the banking industry.
Re:remind me (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:bridge for sale (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually I'm going to disagree with you there. Yes, Snowden was a loss for the NSA, but not a fatal loss.
Gen. Alexander presided over and participated in an epic expansion of the NSA budget, mandate, and importance. They achieved the nirvana of government existence: To become a mover and shaker. The NSA now overshadows the CIA and FBI in importance.
The Snowden disclosures threaten that status, but notice that none of the limitations on the NSA have actually happened yet. Lots of talk but little action. The government likes it's pervy magic database of secrets and private communications. Sure it's constitutionally infringing but hey, terr'ists!!
And even if the golden age of spying winds up being curbed, Gen. Alexander can always find a way to blame someone else, or say "it' was one unfortunate mistake, lessons were learned, I wasn't properly informed, etc."