Accelerating Security

Two federal technology managers said they are accelerating information security programs in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

At the Federal Aviation Administration, a plan to create a round-the-clock computer emergency response team has been pushed up to where it is operating now.

"Instead of going 24-7 in nine months, it is 24-7 now," said Michael Brown, director of the FAA's Office of Information Systems Security.

Brown also said the FAA would speed up its security research program in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At the Treasury Department, chief technology officer Don Hagerling said Treasury would speed up several security initiatives.

These include: replacing the agency's virtual private networks of frame relay over ATM in favor of switched, secure IP nets; requiring tokens for user logons and, later, biometric-equipped smart cards; and moving Web sites to virtual machine hosts so hackers can't get to physical servers.

Both Brown and Hagerling spoke at a Sept. 17 meeting of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.