polygraphed
2013-11-08 17:35:36.235599+01 by Dan Lyke 0 comments
There's a line from Reuters: Exclusive: Snowden persuaded other NSA workers to give up passwords - sources. The short version is that Edward Snowden used a little social engineering to get user names and passwords from 20 to 25 of his coworkers, and apparently none of them reported this behavior, which is a huge lapse in training and procedures, but the money quote is (Emphasis mine):
"In the classified world, there is a sharp distinction between insiders and outsiders. If you've been cleared and especially if you've been polygraphed, you're an insider and you are presumed to be trustworthy," said Steven Aftergood, a secrecy expert with the Federation of American Scientists.
So our entire security apparatus is based on something that's roughly got the same scientific credibility as phrenology?
Seriously, y'all, WTF?