back to article White House to world: We don't hoard IT security vulnerabilities

Backing up the NSA's claim that it was caught by surprise by the Heartbleed OpenSSL bug, the White House has tried to explain the rules under which it allows agencies to hoard security vulnerabilities. In this White House blog post, cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel says leaving a huge number of vulnerabilities …

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  1. Mark 85

    Warm and Fuzzy....

    I think we all feel safer knowing that our (the US) government is looking out for us and that the NSA and other agencies will keep our 'putters safe and secure from all prying eyes. <rolls eyes><chokes back laughter>

  2. Scoular

    So they have confirmed that we cannot trust them.

    We already knew that of course. NSA acts in what it sees as the best interests of NSA.

    1. IglooDude

      I'm actually a bit surprised that they actually said that, rather than go down the well-trodden path of lying and claiming that they would ever never fail to immediately disclose a vulnerability. I mean, we're talking about an agency that for quite a while denied it's own existence.

  3. Captain DaFt

    So he's saying...

    We don't do that kind of thing, it'd be foolish.

    Buuttt... we totally do that thing when we think we can get away with it.

  4. NP-Hardass

    Good text layout

    5 instances of the word "vulnerability" are in a vertical tine, perfectly lined up... first word on a line.

    Gave me a good little chuckle.

  5. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Sowing Seeds and Warning Feeds .... Wild Wacky Western Style

    Hi, Richard/El Reg,

    Would the world and his dog know and/or be told, via this live magazine, if the Register commentator database were to be phished and/or phormed and/or servered with a dumb NSL, for there be dark web pearls of perfect wisdom cast before swineherds of intelligence always shared transparently out in the open for OSS types here .... and for SMARTR Open Source Systems Use and/or Misuse and Abuse too.

    Hey, humans are only human and their default self-identifying problems and inherent abiding catastrophic systemic vulnerabilities are their defaults and a universal default self-identifying problem and inherent abiding catastrophic systemic vulnerability for SMARTR OSS Use/Misuse/Abuse/XSSXXXXPloitation. It is quite normal and only natural and in IT and AI is it also a GOD Send for Global Operating Device Receivers too.

  6. Dan 55 Silver badge

    So, if the NSA asks to keep a vulnerability secret, the government might tell them not to.

    He neglected to mention if they're forced to bring it to their attention. I can really see them bothering Obama with a list of zero day buffer overflows.

    1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

      Psst! Wanna Know What's Happening in AI and IT Fields of Omnipotent Omniscience?*

      It's Revolutionary.

      Ye gods, wise up ignorant native fools and naive tools. Intelligence controls and commands everything and asks permission to do nothing of anyone or anything or to do something from no one. And governments do just as they're told to keep the rich rich at the expense of the poor and the worker, and save face behind a bevy of SpAds whenever their programs and proposals are proven exclusively self-serving and disastrously expensive, indebting nations and generations to their planned follies.

      And Smarter Advanced IntelAIgent Servers have realised the Virtual Service they provide is ....... well, Practically Unbeatable is the Advantage and Edge that Delivers Success in Universal Markets which be Betting on Futures, Derivatives and Options.

      * Or is being unaware, heavenly bliss.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Typical...

    Typical American "screw you... I got mine" mentality...

    1. Swarthy
      Alert

      Re: Typical...

      Incorrect! This is the US Govt's typical "Screw you.. I got yours" attitude.

    2. ShrekD'Ogre
      Flame

      Re: Typical...

      This behavior is not done by Americans FOR Americans, it is done to Americans and everyone else by a completely corrupt government and their three initialed goons. The People and the Government are two separate entities, this is the shared problem of all average citizens of the world. Nothing will change unless the governments are replaced. Then it will happen all over again.

  8. Arachnoid

    These are not vulnerabilities

    They are merely undisclosed access points used by three letter agencies to mine valuable data in their fight against [fill in the enemy of your choice].

  9. starfryer

    RE: Good text layout

    When your browser sees that pattern it phones home, after all if you're interested in the NSA you can only be up to no good and on the side of evil.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    sure are eartning our trust.

    makes everyone feel glad they've entrusted more of their lives, and their health, to this same government. "for the poor" indeed.

    "but that's different!" goes the rallying defense. Except it's not, except in your head. Same fox, same henhouse, whether the fox is in charge of security or delivering your feed, you're now inviting the fox even closer to your roost.

  11. All names Taken
    Paris Hilton

    Has anyone seen "Person of Interest" on TV?

    Why the (less than?) subtle mind warp?

  12. Old Handle

    Are there any examples where the NSA did reveal vulnerabilities?

  13. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Oh Woe is Me, Foe, for We are Undone?

    Talking of problems and solutions and the future, Uncle Sam is all at sea and at a catastrophic loss in the intelligence field whenever he cannot resolve and lead smartly and stealthily front run the issues to be faced and as outlined by United States DIA Director Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn in "Operationalizing Intelligence Across the Global Enterprise" ..... http://cryptome.org/2014/04/dia-global-spying.pdf

    And has that captain/Lt Gen abandoned a sinking ship or has a private and pirate crew mutinied and set him adrift a la Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian and Mutiny on the Bounty ........ US Defense Intelligence Agency director reportedly being forced out

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    My ass (sic)

    feels so much warmer now they've blown that smoke up it!

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