Coffman to lead telecom panel

Vance Coffman, chief executive officer and chairman of Lockheed Martin Corp., was named chairman of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.The panel was formed by executive order in 1982 to offer industry advice to the president on the implications for national security and emergency preparedness of the nation's telecommunications networks. Its mission is to ensure that the telecommunications infrastructure is adequate for national security and emergency preparedness and to address vulnerabilities in the infrastructure.Recently, the panel identified the need for the government to ensure security and preparedness as networks converge, blurring the distinction between telecommunications and other information systems.