US 'approach to defending our country in cyberspace ... is broken'

Once upon a time, long before I retired from the IT biz, I was teaching a class in systems administration at a major public utility. Before the class began, I took a quick look at their network so that I could use examples in class that were more appropriate than generic ones. Imagine my surprise when I was able to scan their network to its darkest corners without so much as logon credentials. I mentioned in class that their security was seriously lacking and the students, who included some senior systems administrators and managers, took offense. I was never asked back. I suspect that an article that appeared in the LA Times a month after my visit may have had something to do with it. It seems that the feds had been surveying systems security at public utilities and mentioned that some, notably the one I had taught at, were extremely vulnerable. I have often wondered if those people suspected that I passed information to the feds. To be honest, I didn't...