Hacker News Reader

Comment by smhinsey | Hacker News Reader

These data breaches are getting to the point where I am expecting politicians to start getting involved.

I sincerely hope the public cries to "DO SOMETHINGGG!!!!!11" don't result more aggressive surveillance, control and restrictions on the people and instead result in a set of best practices to follow by companies.

You say that like there isn't already a set of good practices to follow.

He says that like the politicians will do anything that gets them votes, even if it's not in the best interest of Freedom,, or at least the people of their country, but it at least makes them feel better. .. kinda like the pills that silenced pain in The Giver.

These vague assertions comes up in every single thread about hacking.

How would politicans get involved with hacking?

Firewalls? A hacking czar?

I doubt they can do anything besides make a few speeches and most of these hackers are in eastern europe or china.

The most likely way is regulation similar to HIPAA which mandates data controls for sensitive personal information and lays out penalties and procedures for disclosure.

Regulation would be okay... maybe something forbidding the storage of plain-text passwords, special instructions for hashing, a special protocol for (not) storing credit card numbers... Like a security 101...

My concern is that politicians will want to respond to allay the fears of the average person an act rashly and do something that doesn't actually make things more secure and just causes headaches for everyone.

Penalties, Penalties, Penalties. The Canadian privacy commissioner is already pursuing this strategy: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/05/04/technology-da...

Pick up the red phone and call Bruce Schneier.

when there's a problem and you don't know how to fix it, you pass a law

While I agree that that will probably happen, the "solutions" politicians would have in mind will almost certainly mean regulation in areas that will make things difficult for most of us.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com