IT/Web: August 2012 Archives

Keith's note: The following is put at the bottom of most press releases issued regarding Mars Curiosity.

"More information about Curiosity is online at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl , http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl."

Why does NASA pay to maintain three separate websites (two run by JPL) - all of which are out of synch with one another? NASA is constantly complaining that they never have enough money to run all of their EPO and PAO operations. Yet they can afford multiple websites when only one is needed? If you ask NASA about this (it happens with virtuallky every mission), you either get no answer, a shrug and/or sigh, or something really stupid. So, I am asking (again) ...

Keith's update: There's also http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ which is the same as http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ - that makes three web addresses, two of which point to identical but parallel websites, and one that points to another, different website - all at JPL.

- NASA's Tangled Human Spaceflight Web Presence, earlier post
- NASA's Sprawling Web Presence, earlier post
- NASA's Inability To Speak With One Voice Online, earlier post

Review of NASA's Computer Security Incident Detection and Handling Capability

"In general, we found that the SOC has improved NASA's computer security incident handling capability by providing continuous incident detection coverage for all NASA Centers. ... However, we also found that the SOC does not currently monitor all of NASA's computer networks. Even though networks we reviewed had their own incident management program that included network monitoring, dedicated staff to respond to incidents and documented processes the networks' management programs do not provide the centralized continuous monitoring coverage afforded by the SOC. In addition, NASA needs to increase its readiness to combat sophisticated but increasingly common forms of cyber attack known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)."

NASA's Mars Rover Crashed Into a DMCA Takedown, Vice.com

"This isn't the first time that a claim by Scripps News Service has grounded a NASA video on YouTube. According to Bob Jacobs, NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for Communications, such claims happen once a month, and tend to be more common with popular videos. If claimed videos aren't blocked, they are slapped with ads from the fraudulent claimant. In April, Scripps also claimed ownership for a video of one of NASA's Space Shuttles being flown atop a 747, causing it to briefly disappear from NASA's account."