@Gordon
Spot on. My understanding is that a lot of compartmentalisation ('need to know' being a fundamental aspect of military and government security for decades before the computer was invented) was torn down after 9/11, when agencies were accused by the politicians of "failing to connect the dots".
Anyone who's worked in security for a few years is likely to have experienced the following scenario:
PHB: This security system is reducing our profit- turn it off.
Dilbert: That will expose us to all these risks.
PHB: Don't argue, just do it.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
