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Comment by gcb0 | Hacker News Reader

Incredible how the whole thing just shout inefficiency and huge price tags all over the place.

What is wrong with securing the device with a VPN or something and then using the same services that the entire government already use on desktops?

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You don't want to use the same VPN everyone else is using. You don't want to take critical security updates, because you need to have CIA analysts do a thorough source code audit of any software provided by untrusted parties. This isn't tin foil hat stuff either - it's entirely likely that if the president used off-the-shelf VPN software that a foreign government would get an operative into Cisco or wherever and slip a backdoor in.

So either you convince Cisco that they need to fire any non-US nationals involved in packaging/bugfixes/security and have everyone submit to security screening, or you build your own.

so you are affirming all the network the white house used until obama's blackberry was not yet vetted?

The CIA doesn't do that.

I don't understand why so much weight is given to the difference between US and non-US nationals. And in my experience, it's pretty common to see the US assign a pretty high amount of trust by default to US citizens.

For example, a few months ago I visited a friend there, and I got to tour the SpaceX factory. Since I'm foreign, he had to jump through some hoops and there were parts of it the factory that were off-bounds for me.

I know there are very tight controls on space-related industries and I can understand the no-pictures policy, but I don't know why it makes such a big difference whether I was born elsewhere.

Because you are a foreigner. My government has done horrible things to many people in many countries. They are afraid of blowback.

In all honesty, if you are an intellectual, go elsewhere than the US. We're slowly turning technological backwater because we do not cater to smart people who were born in (gasp) other countries.

As for me, I'm stuck here, due to family ties and money. I wish you the best, wherever you go.

From the article I get the impression that the NSA wants him to use stronger (classified) encryption algorithms.

Sure, if you want commercial grade security. Given the current state of such things and tbe risks associated with the POTUS that would be only a half step above doing nothing at all.

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