Commerce sets up IT security education program
The first step toward better information security in the government is to provide more training for the people responsible for keeping systems safe. That's the approach being taken by Nancy DeFrancesco, chief information security officer for the Commerce Department.
How do you defend yourself against 'good' employees?
Much has been made of the theft last month of computer equipment containing personal data from the home of a Veterans Affairs Department employee, but less attention has been given to the fact that the real breach occurred when the employee carried that data out of his office.
VA loss renews calls to update Privacy Act
The Veterans Affairs Department's recent loss of veterans' personal data highlights a broader question that has rattled around Washington for 10 years: the need to update the Privacy Act of 1974.
When data walks
The Veterans Affairs Department probably is not the only agency whose security and privacy policies have gaping holes. The recent theft of data on 26.5 million veterans sends agencies a chilling message: Lock down your own data security and privacy policies immediately or you might wind up with confidential data walking out your own door.
GCN Lab Review | IronPort C100 Email Security Appliance
We had an interesting problem setting up the IronPort C100, although it was more our fault than anything else.
GCN Lab Review | Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway P600
Proofpoint had one of the Reviewer's Choice products in last year's roundup, but that was before we started judging ease of setup and maintenance.
GCN Lab Review | BlueCat Meridius 1000 Email Gateway Appliance
We had a fair amount of trouble setting up the Meridius 1000. The configuration interface forces you to use a set of little blue buttons on the front of the device to enter its new IP address. But we found these buttons very unresponsive.
GCN Lab Review | Tumbleweed MailGate Appliance 3.0
The Tumbleweed MailGate Appliance 3.0 shows off some of the best and worst features of an e-mail security appliance.
GCN Lab Review | E-mail appliances: How we evaluated them
The GCN Lab partnered with Spirent Communications of Calabasas, Calif. to test anti-spam and antivirus network appliances.
GCN Lab Review | Symantec Mail Security 8240
Considering Symantec has been in the antivirus business for many years, it was no surprise the Mail Security 8240 did well at keeping viruses out of our lab network.<br><b><font color="CC0000">|GCN Lab</font> Reviewer's Choice|</b>
GCN Lab Review | Barracuda Spam Firewall 400
The Barracuda Spam Firewall 400 represents the right way to build an appliance-based e-mail firewall. It was the only unit in this review that was truly plug-and-play and was up and running with a live mail stream in less than five minutes.<br><b><font color="CC0000">|GCN Lab</font> Reviewer's Choice|</b>
Wait a minute Mr. Postman!
Neither snow, nor rain nor gloom of night will keep the e-mail from making its appointed rounds. Unfortunately, over 90 percent of that e-mail is complete junk, so perhaps if it were just a little bit afraid of the dark, we wouldn't be drowning in so much spam.
Wyatt Kash | Editor's Desk: VA's data spill
There is every reason to be disturbed by the Veterans Affairs Department's loss of personal data affecting as many as 26.5 million veterans. But most disturbing is how vulnerable other agencies are to the same kind of loss.
Hord Tipton | Interior redesign
Interior Department CIO Hord Tipton has wrestled with some of the most daunting challenges in federal IT: When he took the job in an acting role in mid-2002, the department was reeling from a December 2001 court order that disconnected almost all Interior systems from the Internet.
TSA proposes Registered Traveler business plan
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a proposed model for the Registered Traveler program to clarify the roles of the various organizations that jointly would run the operation.
VA outlines data security upgrades
The Veterans Affairs Department is tightening its data security policies in response to the theft of sensitive, private electronic data of 26.5 million veterans.
NIST publishes draft report on PIV card, reader specs
The National Institute of Standards has released a draft report detailing requirements and specifications for smart cards and readers that agencies can use when purchasing products to meet upcoming Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 deadlines.
DHS alien-tracking system beset by performance, compatibility issues
An IT upgrade in the Homeland Security Department's Detentions and Removal Office has made little progress.
OMB to agencies: Review personal data protections
The Office of Management and Budget has directed agencies' senior privacy officials to review and correct any policies and processes to ensure that they protect against misuse of or unauthorized access to personally identifiable information.
When you take work home, make sure security goes with it
As too many agencies have learned, if you don't absolutely need to take sensitive data with you, then don't.
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