Lawrence C. Hale

awrence Hale, 45, has helped shape the government's policy in dealing with computer security over the past decade. Today, he serves as director of the Federal Computer Incident Response Center, known as FedCIRC, part of the newly formed US-CERT (Computer Emergency Readiness Team), of which Hale is also acting director. Both are within DHS's National Cyber-Security Division.

FedCIRC is the government's cyber-security shield, the clearinghouse for information about hacking attempts and successful attacks on federal computer networks. It's also the knowledge base for IT security officials, offering up-to-date information about worms, viruses, and other methods of IT invasion and disruption. Agencies can turn to FedCIRC as a source for software patches to seal potential points of entry in their computer systems. In information security especially, forewarned is forearmed, and FedCIRC specializes in keeping the rest of the government apprised of cyber-attackers' techniques and ways to forestall them. US-CERT performs similar functions nationwide, analyzing cyber-threats and vulnerabilities, issuing warnings, and coordinating responses.

In 1996, Hale served the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an information assurance officer. He was a member of the Joint Staff Information Operations Response Cell, working on, among other projects, exercises to determine the Defense Department's ability to protect and defend its computer networks.

A native of Kansas City, Mo., Hale became the first uniformed military officer assigned to the National Infrastructure Protection Center at FBI headquarters in 1999. There, he worked on improving the process of issuing warnings about cyber-related problems. He also served on the FBI's Y2K conversion efforts.

Hale's strength, say his admirers, is his ability to talk about the often-obscure world of security in terms that agency officials can understand. "He's one who can really appreciate the need and convey that to others," said Sandra Bates, commissioner of the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Service.

Hale earned master's degrees in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University while he was serving in the United Kingdom.