http://www.civic.com/civic/articles/2001/0604/web-texas-06-05-01.asp BY Dibya Sarkar June 5, 2001 Texas is poised to become the first state government to establish an information technology security office to apply policies and monitor the Internet architecture. The move is designed to bolster cybersecurity among the states 200 or so agencies and build public trust as more government services move online. The state legislature approved $600,000 in its general appropriations bill to fund the office for the next two years. It is likely to be approved by Gov. Rick Perry, who has until June 17 to sign it into law, said Mel Mireles, statewide IT planning manager in the Department of Information Resources ({http://www.dir.state.tx.us} www.dir.state.tx.us). Mireles would head the new office. The idea of a central security office is an outgrowth of a recently released Sprint study that analyzed statewide Internet security policies and processes. Sprint, a global communications company, also conducted "vulnerability assessments" in which it tried to breach the governments IT security. "We had an idea that security probably wasnt as robust in the state as we move services online. What was evident is that either agencies have policies that are not being enforced, are not being followed for the most part, or there were no policies," Mireles said. "When you couple that with the lack of perimeter security infrastructure, hardware, software you get a kind of a double whammy here," he said, "because if Ive got the configuration that needs to happen at my infrastructure level and...those policies arent followed, [then] I kind of negate that infrastructure." The Texas DIR has somewhat played that security role over the past decade, Mireles said, but a dedicated office would be more proactive in communicating, monitoring and evaluating policies, standards and procedures to its agencies. The office also would continue testing the states Internet defenses and try to find vulnerable points. Additional security services would be outsourced, he said. Bob Robinson, Sprints director of security practice, said Texas may be the first of several other states looking at an enterprise model for security. New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Virginia apparently are also interested. "For the state to take this approach is something that is very remarkable, and it shows a forward-looking mature outlook on security on a state level," Robinson said. "It gives people in the state this feeling that their information and their politics are being monitored and cared for, so it does give a very positive look for the state." If approved, Texas security office will open Sept. 1, the start of the states fiscal year. ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com --- To unsubscribe email isn-unsubscribeat_private
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