Working in government contracting, I have seen more than my fair share of poorly written policies, and have seen them rewritten, sometimes with little improvement. The crux of the matter is that the Government, like any organization, has a vested interest in protecting their infrastructure. With that in mind, the job of the IT security team becomes very challenging as the reality of a connected world comes into play. Where does “my network” end? If your computer is talking to mine…you are on my network! What should I have the POTENTIAL capability to influence to protect my infrastructure and information?

Given these questions, it is no wonder that DOT has put in place a policy such as this. Does that mean that …

- The policy should not be more reflective of individual privacy concerns? YES
- That there should be grave concerns that “Big Brother” is trying to get into your computer? NO (If you haven’t noticed …Uncle Sam and the dedicated people who are supporting him have their hands full with the bad guys and the users in their organizations.)
- That you should exercise reasonable care with ANY website, governmental, organizational or otherwise to protect your own data? ABSOLUTELY

Glenn, thanks for a good laugh and for the soapbox for me to highlight the intrinsic dangers to our privacy…among the least of which is the Government, in this instance.