For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Subscribe to
Computerworld 40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.
Bush security plan calls for background checks
or
Other Security Stories
|
|
|
|
July 22, 2002 (Computerworld) -- WASHINGTON -- Once a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security is established, the Bush administration plans to convene a panel of government and private-sector experts to determine the legal guidelines for subjecting tens of thousands of private-sector employees to background investigations.
The panel -- outlined in the president's National Strategy for Homeland Security released last week (see story) -- would be convened jointly by the secretary of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney general. It would examine whether current employer liability statutes and privacy concerns would hinder "necessary background checks for personnel with access to critical infrastructure facilities or systems."
That means tens of thousands of private-sector employees working in industries such as banking, chemicals, energy, transportation, telecommunications, shipping and public health would be subject to background checks as a condition of employment.
Tom Ridge, the current director of the Office of Homeland Security and the leading contender to become Bush's nominee for the cabinet post, said on July 21 that the nation remains at risk from an unknown number of terrorist cells operating within the U.S. And according to the national strategy, that situation could be further complicated by malicious insiders with authorized access to critical facilities.
"Personnel with privileged access to critical infrastructure, particularly [IT-based] control systems, may serve as terrorist surrogates by providing information on vulnerabilities, operating characteristics and protective measures," the Bush strategy states.
The administration's desire to ensure that employees working at critical infrastructure facilities -- 90% of which are owned and operated by private companies -- could also provide additional incentive for the Bush administration to establish the post of chief privacy officer within the proposed Homeland Security cabinet-level office.
"I certainly think that we are very open to having that discussion," Steve Cooper, president Bush's CIO for homeland security, said today. "I suspect that the American public is also interested. I think the dialogue is welcome."
But the challenge of conducting background investigations on such a massive scale may be far greater than anybody has acknowledged so far, said Bill Malik, a security analyst at KPMG LLC.
"The biggest problem with background checks for folks working on critical infrastructure is the broad use of third parties and contractors involved in the work," said Malik. "The worry at a nuclear power plant is not so much the regular staff but the cleaning crew, the groundskeepers, the caterers and the painters.
"And from a law enforcement perspective, it is actually easier to covertly identify a suspicious person and place them under surveillance than it would be to scare such folks off, drive them further underground and then have to wonder what they might be up to from a distance," said Malik.
Gary Gardner, CIO at the Washington-based American Gas Association, which represents 187 local companies that deliver natural gas to more than 52 million homes, businesses and industries, said the Bush plan focuses on critical-infrastructure personnel programs and proposes national standards for screening and background checks.
"As you can imagine, creating national standards and possibly regulation is not something any industry would like to see," Gardner said. "However, assistance in strengthening programs and the government strengthening their own background checking ability -- with industry being able to take advantage of a national system -- would be welcomed."
During a news briefing last week at the White House, Cooper said privacy issues will be one of the five guiding principles used to develop the administration's cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection plan.
"Getting the balance right will be a pendulum," he said, referring to the balance between privacy, civil liberties and the need for greater security. "We're not going to get the balance right right out of the box."
|
Print this Story |
|
Send Us Feedback |
|
E-mail this Story |
|
Digg this Story |
|
Slashdot this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
All Zones Application Performance Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone Enterprise Solutions Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone The Data Center Management Zone |
 See your link here
|
 |
||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
|
Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? 
Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs.
Get this white paper now!
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
- Powerset unveils test version of Google-killer
- IPhone out of stock 'companywide,' say Apple sales reps
- Microsoft to limit capabilities of cheap laptops
- More top stories
Security Management ZoneSecurity management is the process of developing a comprehensive data protection plan. It takes into account all potential threats, the existing network environment, the future needs of the organization, and lays out a multi-tiered blueprint to integrate the security technology needed to combat these threats. CDW can help keep your network and data secure. Visit the CDW Security Management Zone now See All Zones
|
 Fired up about IT? Join Sharkbait and share your true tales of IT. SharkBait is the place for you to sound off about everything IT – the good, the bad, and the rest of the weird stuff you deal with every day. New baits 
|
Computerworld Technology Briefing: An open-source path to optimal virtualization Looking for a virtualization strategy that offers both the flexibility and reliability to meet the demands of mixed-source environments? Look no further than the fast-emerging open virtualization approach backed by some of the biggest names in enterprise computing. Together they are pointing the way toward higher data center performance without higher costs.Download this briefing
|
 In SecurityThere's plenty of talk about how to behave during a Customs search of your computer and gear, but Jon Espenschied's got tips for securing your data (and privacy) before you reach the border. Click here to read the latest column by Jon Espenschied |
 |
 |
Layered Security Solutions
Although basic network security issues have changed very little over the past decade, the
network security landscape has changed dramatically. Today's IT professionals still have the
primary responsibility of protecting the confidentiality of corporate information, preventing
unauthorized access, and defending the network against attacks. Security experts and analysts agree that a security solution comprised of multiple layers is the best defense against today's increasingly sophisticated attacks.Download this white paper
|
Universal Threat Management - Because Conventional UTM is Not Enough!
This white paper, written by Mark Bouchard of Missing Link Security Services, examines the challenges confronting today's enterprises with respect to managing threats on a network. It also discusses the need for "Universal Threat Management", which is a security solution approach for all physical locations within an enterprise that require threat protection.Download this white paper |
Selecting the Right Threat Management Solution
This short demo will guide you through key considerations for selecting a solution to manage threats on a network. Learn about the popularity of Unified Threat Management (UTM), and how it fits into an overall security solution. Explore critical elements of a network-wide solution for multisite and large network-size deployments and identify the four key features of a threat management solution.View this demo
|
CIO
Computerworld
CSO
DEMO
GamePro
Games.net
IDG Connect
IDG World Expo
Infoworld
The Industry Standard
ITworld
JavaWorld
LinuxWorld
MacUser
Macworld
Network World
PC World
Playlist
Copyright © 2008 Computerworld Inc. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.
Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are
trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
|
