Agencies urged to invest in protecting information

National Journal
August 2, 2001
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The Government Electronics and Information Technology Association (GEIA) on Wednesday released a white paper arguing that significant new initiatives are necessary to help federal agencies other than the Defense Department reap the benefits of e-government without also placing critical information and systems at risk.

"Electronic communication has become an indispensable tool for business and government," GEIA President Dan Heinemeier said in a statement. "But our transition to a fully networked society is not risk-free."

Heinemeier said many federal network operators lack the resources and technical expertise to defend against cyberattacks. He also said security practices need to be better developed and implemented.

The paper notes that the number and sophistication of attacks on the federal Internet infrastructure have increased dramatically over the years, with more reported incidents of network attacks in the final quarter of 2000 than in the entire previous year.

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