Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Feds Spur Security Plan

    By
    Dennis Fisher
    -
    October 14, 2002
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The federal government is pushing ahead with its agenda to improve the security of public and private networks, working to garner support for key components and developing plans to refocus the National Information Assurance Partnership.

      Specifically, the NIAP is crafting two sets of security guidelines to help federal agencies lock down their networks, and many industry observers expect the provisions in the drafts to show up in recommendations for the private sector as well. The first draft, due Oct. 28, will spell out a lengthy process that IT personnel can use to certify that their systems are running securely. The second, which will be published Nov. 11, details sets of security controls that federal networks should have to be considered secure, depending on their sensitivity level.

      “We have taken into account [international standards] so that these guidelines can be applied to the private sector,” said Marianne Swanson, senior adviser for IT security management at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, in Gaithersburg, Md. “We can only recommend, but these are all best practices. We havent pulled anything out of the ordinary. They should be used.”

      Both drafts will be available for comment for three months, Swanson said.

      The guidelines come at a time when the NIAPs mission and position in the governments security plans are evolving rapidly. The group is a partnership between the NIST and the National Security Agency and at present serves mainly as a clearinghouse for testing and certifying the security of software and hardware products. Federal agencies are strongly encouraged to buy products that have been NIAP-certified, but many agencies ignore that advice because of the limited choices available.

      The NIAP is working to develop a program to certify that products are secure in their typical configurations as well as in their design. Security experts say this would be a breakthrough in the way that both the government and vendors treat security.

      “That would add enormous value to NIAP because it would ensure that systems that meet their certification by design also meet it in configuration,” said Alan Paller, director of research at The SANS Institute, in Bethesda, Md. “The push-back will come from software vendors. They like to be tested once and not be constrained in any way in how they market their stuff.”

      Enterprise users, however, are skeptical that the government will be able to have much effect on the overall security of products and corporate networks.

      “I dont think theres a whole lot the government can do to mandate changes in corporate policies,” said Eric Stromberg, senior electrical engineer at Dow Chemical Co., based in Midland, Mich. “Their only real power over corporations is in either tax law or fines. If they could somehow tie [security] to tax rates or security breaches to fines, theyd have something.”

      Meanwhile, Richard Clarke, chairman of the Presidents Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, last week tried to rally support among IT managers for one of the boards more controversial proposals, the Internet NOC (network operations center). Clarke, speaking in Washington at a user conference for Symantec Corp. customers, offered assurances that the NOC would not be used to eavesdrop on e-mail and Internet traffic but would serve simply as a coordination and early- warning center.

      Critics have argued that the governments collection and correlation of security data could lead to privacy problems. However, many people in the security community say such a central point of analysis is sorely needed inside the federal government.

      Related Stories:

      • Senate Delay Muddles Security Reporting
      • Smaller Firms Demand More From Bush Plan
      • Feds Delay Release of Cyber-Security Plan
      • Security: The Feds Can Help
      • Special Report: Bushs Security Plan
      Avatar
      Dennis Fisher

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×