told Politico's Mike Allen. "It's kind of a deal. You know that you've made it when you get your own nickname."

"I think my nickname is 'Big Sis.' And I don't think [Matt Drudge] means it kindly, actually," she added. "I think what he means is we are watching too much -- kind of an Orwellian view. And he's just wrong -- he's just wrong."

The DHS secretary explained that her department's privacy office took great care to prevent government overreaching.

"Madam Secretary, what I thought you were going to say -- and why I really perked up -- I thought you had a nickname for him," Allen noted.

"Maybe," Napolitano replied, laughing. "No, I think we should try to keep our discussion at a high level."