Kate Is Clueless: Why So Many Security Exceptions?

Maybe you've noticed this:  accessing government websites seems to pop up more security issues than accessing other websites.  I am forever negotiating a maze of "the identity of this site can not be verified" or "are you sure you want to go there?" type messages when I am trying to do anything on a .mil or .gov website.  The wording on the warning and the pages where it pops up will vary depending on the browser you are using and the protection software you are running on your computer.  Bet I am pretty sure you've seen something similar.

I'm really confused about why the federal government or the Department of Defense (DoD)  wouldn't put forth the extra effort to make sure that their websites look secure.  We have to "proceed anyway" or choose that we "understand the risks" in order to accomplish the task that we're trying to complete, whether it be making a doctor's appointment, checking a LES, or filing a moving claim.

It seems to me that by having websites that aren't properly documented or formatted, the DOD and the federal government are encouraging people to get into the habit of being lax with their internet security.  In my mind, if I have to click in through a bunch of warnings to make a doctor's appointment (this just happened - four pages worth!), then I'm not going to take those warnings very seriously the next time I see then.

It seems to me that training us all to use good internet security measures is in the bests of interest of the federal government and DoD.  Why would they keep a situation that does the exact opposite?

Do you often run into these issues?  What do you think about that situation?