US and Canada Launch Joint Cybersecurity Plan 42
wiredmikey writes "Canada and the United States announced Friday they were launching a joint cybsersecurity plan that aims to better protect critical digital infrastructure and improve the response to cyber incidents. Under the action plan, the US Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety Canada will cooperate to protect vital cyber systems and respond to and recover from any cyber disruptions, by improving collaboration on managing cyber incidents between their respective cyber security operation centers, enhancing information sharing and engagement with the private sector and pursuing US-Canadian collaboration to promote cyber security awareness to the public."
Re:Great (Score:2, Interesting)
If you define "sane" as "brown-nosing kid sucking up to the class bully", then yes. Where for "class" you can read "NATO". Europe already provides a direct pipeline of all our data for the US' perusal, without expecting anything in return.
More specifically in the Netherlands, all the current minister AND his sidekick of "justice and security" seem to be able to do is to look at the UK and the USoA and then find "reasons" why the very worst of both are just the thing for already-regulated-to-the-gills the Netherlands.
More cyber? They want it. Cameras? They think that a great idea. More phone and internet tapping? Already being at the top of the per-capita list is not enough. More "extreme porn laws"? They say we "need" them. Cencorship? They think it's lovely, if only they knew of a way to slip it past us. Laws to force you to hand over encryption keys? They say it helps against terrorist paedophile copyright pirates.
Basically the only thing they've done during their term is come up with registration requirements and systems to track your every move, spout nonsense about "real needs for tougher stances on crime" when crime numbers are the lowest in years already, and jack up fines and admonish police to issue more citations, to the point where the police are now refusing to issue fines because they're unjustifiably high.
And they're both up for a second term. If you want sanity, look not at Europe, certainly not at the Netherlands. You have a better chance in Germany, truth be told, though with their wish for a free trade treaty with the US, that won't last long. I wish it were otherwise, but your cultural and regulatory influence is actually more strongly felt here than on your side of the pond. Really.
Maybe you could try one of those banana republics the CIA sold out so thoroughly half a century back, some seem to be recovering. Things seem to be looking up in Cuba, of all places.
This makes perfect sense (Score:1, Interesting)
We share a lot of resources, power grids, transportation networks, and airspace. We formed NORAD 60 years ago to defend North America from air attacks across the North Pole and to manage airspace along our border. Today we work to patrol North American airspace whenever we have a lot pilot or a hijacked airplane. It only makes sense to build a united front against digital attacks on our infrastructure.
Re:let me guess how this works... (Score:4, Interesting)
They of course will also use the opportunity to strengthen our internet infrastructure by routing all Canadian traffic through a building physically located within the US, and all US traffic through a building physically located within Canada, because traffic flowing over a border automagically makes it less vulnerable. And it happens to eliminate virtually all laws that may apply to said traffic, but this is merely a coincidence.