FDCC Sucks

So OMB picks up on something DOD had done to "secure" their computers and has NIST come up with FDCC, http://fdcc.nist.gov/.

Under the FDCC settings I can't add trusted sites or restricted sites (at home I have sites like Doubleclick and Fastclick blocked) in Internet Explorer. When the security settings break a valid web site, end users are told to have FireFox installed. Um, aren't you undoing or bypassing the very thing you are trying to restrict?? You can ask for a waiver, but have to have a damn good reason.

I also can't update my current software, like Windows, Flash Player, Quicktime or Acrobat Reader. There has been a vulnerability in Reader that is being exploited, has been for weeks. The update has yet to be pushed to our "secure" Government computers, even though I complain about it.

The whole thing boils down to the Directors of these agencies being able to report to OMB that "we are in compliance". No matter what problems that causes, which is a less secure environment in this case. Stupid people, stupid policy and no one fights it. I have noticed some people ignore it all though, which is a whole other issue.