On Ocotober 6th, 2011, Eric Schmitt reported for the New York Times on how President Obama issued an executive order to replace the flawed patchwork of government computer security safeguards. The order was the culmination of a seven-month governmentwide review of how government agencies handle classified information and how to reduce the risk of breaches.
The executive order mirrors the steps already taken by several government agencies in the wake of the WikiLeaks disclosures. For instance, the military now prevents people from downloading classified data onto memory sticks, CDs or DVDs, the Pentagon developed procedures to monitor suspicious behavior on classified computer systems, and the State Department stopped sending diplomatic cables over a classified e-mail system. Much of these safeguards are enshrined in the new executive order, but computer security analysis note that these safeguards are long overdue.
The order also creates an "insider threat" task force, led by the attorney general and the director of national intelligence, to combat leaks from government workers. The task force special must report to the president assessing federal successes and failures in protecting classified information on government computer networks. In commenting on WikiLeaks and the new executive order, Monte Hawkins for the National Security Council noted that “I don’t think we’ll ever be able to guarantee this won’t happen again, but this greatly enhances our chances of preventing it or catching it in the process.”
The source article can be found here.
Leave a Reply