Lieberman Quizzes Ridge On Federal IT Security

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

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Lieberman Quizzes Ridge On Federal IT Security
By Jason Miller, Government Computer News
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A.,
22 Mar 2002

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) has asked Tom Ridge, director of
the homeland security office, to explain how his office is protecting
the country's critical infrastructure and the security of federal
information systems.

Lieberman, chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, this week
sent a letter to Ridge with four questions about critical
infrastructure and four questions about securing government
information systems. He also asked Ridge about the organization of
homeland security offices.

This letter follows 12 hearings since Sept. 11 on the government's
response to bioterrorism, aviation, port and rail security, the local
role in homeland security and the protection of the nation’s critical
infrastructure. In October, Lieberman introduced a bill to create a
Department of Homeland Security (S 1534), a cabinet-level agency. The
bill was referred to Lieberman’s committee but has not moved.

Under the critical infrastructure protection section of the letter,
Lieberman asked Ridge:

- What steps have been taken to identify key infrastructures and what
  are they?

- What steps have been taken to protect agencies' key infrastructures,
  and who within government is responsible for coordinating the plans?

- How are the government's cybersecurity responsibilities allocated,
  and what further refinement plans are there?

- How have the strategies for information sharing changed since Sept.
  11, and what partnerships have developed between the federal
  government and the private sector?

The IT security questions included:

- What will the roles of Ridge and cyberspace security adviser Richard
  Clarke be in furthering federal system security? And how will these
  two roles relate?

- What are the administration's plans for completing the evaluation of
  the proposed secure government network, known as GovNet, and what
  alternatives are being discussed?

- What is the administration doing to conduct R&D in information
  systems protection?

- How is the administration assuring that adequate corrective action
  plans are being developed and implemented by agencies after the 
  Office of Management and Budget's recent security report found

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