Survey: IT pros not concerned about NSA spying

[bemildred]

You may have heard that the NSA has been spying on just about everyone, everywhere without regard for whether or not they are an actual threat to national security. The allegation that RSA accepted a payment of $10 million in exchange for cooperating with the NSA led some to boycott the recent RSA Conference, or participate in the TrustyCon counter-conference that was hosted around the corner. As it turns out, though, most IT professionals don't seem all that concerned with the activities of the NSA.

AppRiver conducted a survey of the attendees at the RSA Conference. AppRiver's Fred Touchette describes in a blog post how the boycott and the apparent success of TrustyCon piqued his interest about where government hacking ranks on the overall threat landscape for IT professionals.

"We decided to do a face to face survey with conference attendees one on one to ask them a few simple questions about these issues compile the data and see what is on people's minds," Touchette explains. "These are people that deal with security every day, whose jobs depend on keeping networks secure, and who use threats as a practical problem not [as] theoretical or philosophical issues."

The AppRiver survey only includes responses from about 110 people--out of a total attendance of about 25,000--so it doesn't qualify as a scientifically relevant sampling. Nevertheless, the results are interesting.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/security/3505620/survey-it-pros-not-concerned-about-nsa-spying/

[Thinkingabout]

1. Because those working in security know it would be impossible to have enough "listeners" on all

Calls. Yes there are rogue employees in many jobs but isn't always. It is like the engine in your vehicle, you don't hear and know everytime there is a cylinder firing but the moment there is a different sound then we become more aware and listen.

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2. Yes. There have been reports of 7-8 hundred thousand analysts grovelling over the Prism stuff.

And I know that is still not enough.

And if they don't annoy me in any way, I don't really care if they watch.

The OP says about what I would expect.

[Thinkingabout]

3. It was overblown from the start, there is a collection of phone calls and then if it appeared

Suspicious then wiretap warrant was requested. I would always hope this group would always put their manpower to watching for wrong doing.

[bemildred]

4. It's a messy subject.

I agree some aspects are overblown. On the other hand, some sort of restraint and rationality has to be introduced if the program is ever to be useful, as opposed to profitable.

And it was a done deal that if it ever came out, it was going to be existential for the NSA, and US foreign policy, which is why I would fire the Starship Commander, to start.

[GeorgeGist]

5. Read no more.

The AppRiver survey only includes responses from about 110 people--out of a total attendance of about 25,000--so it doesn't qualify as a scientifically relevant sampling.

God the Stupid is Strong.

[bemildred]

6. You think they should be worried?

Or you think a lot of them are worried?
Or you're just dissing the poll?