US Plans Cyber Shield For Private Companies and Utilities

wiggles writes "The federal government is launching an expansive program dubbed 'Perfect Citizen' to detect cyber assaults on private companies and government agencies running such critical infrastructure as the electricity grid and nuclear-power plants, according to people familiar with the program. The surveillance by the National Security Agency, the government's chief eavesdropping agency, would rely on a set of sensors deployed in computer networks for critical infrastructure that would be triggered by unusual activity suggesting an impending cyber attack, though it wouldn't persistently monitor the whole system, these people said. How do we feel about NSA spyware in all of our infrastructure?"

Slashdot

[warGod3]

I wonder if the "Slashdot Effect" would be considered a "cyber assault"?

Re:Think?

[Anonymous Coward]

s/violent/violet

Had it right the first time.

Perfect Citizen

[iateyourcookies]

"Perfect Citizen": Because the phrase "Big Brother" wasn't quite creepy enough.

Re:Surveillance

[LilGuy]

Ahhh the good old days of Echelon. If only we could go back to such simpler times. :)

That Name!

[eheldreth]

Am I the only one that read the name of this project and gave serious consideration to buying a shiny new bunker in Montana.

Re:Spyware? Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

("Ahhh I see citizen 12 is using grow lamps - send the DEA to investigate"), then liberty will die for all of us.

If you are running grow lamps, maybe talking about them in every single post you make to slashdot isn't the way to keep them a secret? Just a thought.

Re:Guess

[Anonymous Coward]

Doubleplusungood, in fact.