[ISN] Information security tightened for Han Kuang exercises

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Sun Apr 06 2008 - 23:17:59 PDT


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/04/05/2003408427

By Jimmy Chuang
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Apr 05, 2008, Page 2

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has stepped up measures to avoid 
classified information leaks concerning this year.s Han Kuang military 
exercise as computer-based warfare simulation for the exercise gets 
underway.

An official with the ministry.s communications and electronics 
department, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Taipei Times that 
in addition to constant renewals of virus protection on the computers 
and constant education and reminders for its personnel, a stricter 
security measure has been implemented whereby no related personnel may 
continue their work outside the office after office hours.

All computers and disks with classified information must remain onsite 
and they must be formatted when the entire project is finished, the 
official said.


PAST ERRORS

Last year an official involved in the warfare simulation for the Han 
Kuang military exercise brought his laptop with classified information 
home and continued to work after office hours. When downloading software 
from Chinese Web sites onto his laptop, back-door access programs were 
also installed. Hackers then stole the classified information from his 
computer without the officer.s knowledge.


THREE THREATS

Usually the department.s major challenges include human errors, hacker 
attacks and virus problems, the official said. Most human error is the 
result of negligence when some military personnel bring USB disks or 
laptops with classified information home to continue their work.

Some other service men and women might not strictly follow the rules to 
format related disks or delete classified information when they have 
finished their work.

.Many officers work too hard. They brought home information that should 
never leave the house after office hours otherwise. They never thought 
that classified information would leak just like that,. the official 
said. .As the result, we have constantly educated our fellow military 
personnel and I believe mistakes like that will be decreased and 
avoided..

Copyright 1999-2008 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.


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