A secure partner secures the deal

The White House says it's serious about cybersecurity.When administration officials released the fiscal 2005 budget earlier this month, they announced that 18 agencies will not receive money to upgrade their information technology systems until they fix security problems. "Agencies need to secure what they have," said Karen Evans, administrator for IT and e-government in the Office of Management and Budget. OMB's new policy should shake loose a lot of near-term spending on cybersecurity, but plenty of companies will be standing in line to scoop it up. Staff Writer Patience Wait talked to companies large and small that play in this space, and she found that most successful companies have well-honed strategies for finding just the right partner."We don't keep a lot of talent sitting on the bench, and cybersecurity experts are high-priced talent. So we keep a cadre of other companies that have that talent," an executive with a leading integrator told Patience.You can read Patience's feature story describing how companies are hooking up as partners on cybersecurity projects. Also on the cover, Gail Repsher Emery's story offers details about OMB's new policy, including the 18 agencies with lackluster security. And finally, check out Brad Grimes story on page 20 outlining new opportunities to offer patch management solutions to government.