NASA's One Size Fits All DAR Solution Stumbles
Internal NASA LaRC memo: “Once again with DAR the NASA CIO’s office has developed a well-thought-out and reasonable plan that effectively covers 90% of NASA computing resources beautifully, then is attempting to apply it to 100% of all computer systems in spite of the consequential damages. This is made worse by the bizarre deadline imposed during the Christmas holidays …
… Risks? Plenty: this is what happens when a good policy made by smart people wh have looked at all the options is implemented by inflexible fool[s] who don’t understand how people use computers and who do not weigh the consequences.”
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– NASA’s Stolen Laptop and Data Problem Just Got Worse
– earlier posts
It is even worse at GSFC. They have declared all desktops (I repeat DESKTOPS), regardless of if they have SBU, ITAR or PII, have to have DAR installed. It is insane.
Bureaucracies are funny things to watch as they try to solve complicated modern technical issues with the slavish devotion to policy dogma and mindset of 12th century monks.
At least it’s humorous from the outside.
DAR in its current implementation is required for systems being managed under the ACES (Agency Consildated End-User Services) contract and only to laptops and then desktops which process or hold PII/SBU. Other systems managed outside of ACES can have DAR implemented on their systems by the ACES contractor. There has not been a direction of 100% NASA wide so the article is somewhat misleading. Although if it were directed at 100%, i would agree that a one size fits all solution is not the answer.