[ISN] County upgrades computer security for audit report

http://www.dewitt-ee.com/articles/2010/12/15/news/doc4d08eed477f4f744440444.txt

By Christina Verderosa
Dewitt Era Enterprise
December 15, 2010 

Arkansas County has spent a great deal of time in the past year 
improving computer security and data back-up plans. This turned out to 
be worthwhile for a number of reasons, including that this is just what 
state auditors were looking for.

In its regular meeting Tuesday, the Arkansas County Quorum Court 
approved the state audit report for 2009 and heard from elected 
officials about what they were doing to address the report’s findings. 
Several of the findings had to do with computer security issues. 
Arkansas County Judge Glenn “Sonny” Cox pointed out that most of the 
issues had already been addressed, but had to be reported since the 
report covered 2009.

Both the Sheriff’s Department and the Circuit Clerk’s office received 
findings that there were insufficient safeguards on their password 
systems; specifically, employees were not prompted to change passwords 
periodically; they were not locked out after three unsuccessful log-ons, 
and passwords were not sufficiently complex. However, both Sheriff Allen 
Cheek and Circuit Clerk Sarah Merchant told justices that their offices 
have received new software that has corrected these problems.

Cox said password security has been much discussed at meeting of county 
judges, since there is “a lot of mischief going on.” He emphasized that 
only one or maybe two people should have the master list of passwords. 
He also cautioned employees never to give their passwords to any of 
their co-workers.

“Another employee could use your password to steal,” Cox warned. “You 
can say you didn’t do it, but the computer would say you did.”

[...]


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