[LINK] 'Govnet' would be a mistake, experts say

[Tony Barry]

Extracted item for information.

Source:NewsScan Daily, 16 October 2001 ("Above The Fold")

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'GOVNET' WOULD BE A MISTAKE, EXPERTS SAY
The Bush administration's proposed "Govnet" -- an independent government
computer network that is separate from the Internet -- would be costly and
would fail to create a safe haven from hack attacks and viruses, according
to security experts. While the concept is theoretically feasible, it would
be very difficult to execute. For instance, inside government offices,
employees could easily pass viruses from the public Internet to Govnet via
floppy disks, unless the floppy disk drive were locked shut. And if the
Govnet fiber optic cable is run through the same conduits used by the
Internet, it would be susceptible to the same sorts of physical attacks.
"The thought is if we can have complete control over it, it will be
bulletproof," says one security expert. "But this is farfetched unless they
assume there's not going to be any kind of human intervention or place
where someone is going to connect in through a PC." Experts recommend that
instead of creating a new network from scratch, the government should
improve its security practices and use existing security technologies. One
possibility would involve virtual private network technology, which enables
businesses to use the Internet securely by encrypting data communications
before they are sent over the public network and decrypting them at the
receiving end. (Reuters/SiliconValley.com 15 Oct 2001)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/002314.htm
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