The government continues to have issues centered around a similar theme — the government has "deep-rooted problems with tech literacy," WIRED reports.
Through various instances, the government has proven to be technically illiterate at all levels, WIRED states in a report. This illiteracy endangers the nation's security during a time where technology is completely ingrained in everyday life.
Hillary Clinton's use of a private server highlights the misunderstanding Clinton and her team had of risks using a private server. But it also highlights the "dangers of a government that doesn't balance security with usability," since the private server was used in order to circumvent the difficult and "clunky" government email not optimized for mobile (this was also the reason Colin Powell and Mike Pence used a private server during previous positions, according to WIRED).
The Hillary Clinton scandal is only one of the many recent high-profile controversies proving the government's technical illiteracy. The FBI vs. Apple controversy presented the FBI's misunderstanding of encryption, and the glance into the investigation of Russia's influence on the 2016 election presents the government's vulnerability without every member being technically literate.
The government needs to be run by "tech savvy diplomats" with a "willingness to realize information security is a critical skill for the defense of the nation," according to WIRED. Technical literacy is not a partisan issue, but one that affects everyone, regardless of affiliations.
"More uniform tech policies would let people know what the rules are and what the best practices are. But we are not moving in that direction, which means that the risks are even greater of scandals happening due to cyber intrusions," Darrell West, director of governance at the Brookings Institute, told WIRED.
Rachael Kalinyak is an editorial intern with Network Solutions.
