Wednesday, October 2, 2013

What happens when the *S* hits the fan?

Imagine that the self-inflicted shutdown furlough stretches on for awhile, and then the *S* hits the fan. Who is to blame? What really happened? Why didn't we know more about what was happening? It doesn't have to be something as big as a Mumbai style attack, nor something similar to a Westgate mall in Nairobi. It doesn't have to be a zero-day exploit taking advantage of some network vulnerability. Who will own the problem? Will our ability to deal with what happens next be impacted by reduced staffing levels? I'm not an expert, and people say I worry too much, but I would not like for stuff to start to go wrong while the nation is at a reduced staffing level. Many people will probably be ready to return when needed, barring mass casualties. We don't need to engage in this self-immolation.
Technology is good. Having dominance is good, but to have half of the team sitting on the sidelines doesn't really make much sense.
Criminal behaviors are one thing, international disputes could be another area. I'm not going to think about things that could go wrong with having aircraft inspectors, food safety inspectors, and epidemiologists on the sidelines. Most likely nothing will happen during this short time frame where our vision and hearing is reduced.
If you see something, say something.

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