NCJ Number
204690
Date Published
March 2004
Length
89 pages
Annotation
In response to a request by the chairmen of the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform and its Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census, this study by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) identified commercially available, state-of-the-practice cybersecurity technologies that Federal agencies can use to defend their computer systems against cyber attacks.
Abstract
Federal agencies rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to conduct their work. The security of these systems and their data is essential in preventing data tampering, disruptions in critical operations, fraud, and inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. GAO found that many cybersecurity technologies available in the marketplace can function as safeguards and countermeasures to protect information technology infrastructures. This report categorizes specific technologies according to the control function they provide, along with descriptions of what the technologies do, how they work, and their reported effectiveness. The five control categories are access controls, system integrity, cryptography, audit and monitoring, and configuration management and assurance. GAO identified 18 technologies that are available within these categories. These include "smart tokens," which establish users' identities through an integrated circuit chip in a portable device such as a "smart card" or a time-synchronized token, and security event correlation tools, which monitor and document actions on network devises and analyze the actions to determine whether an attack is ongoing or has occurred. This report also offers recommendations for the selection and implementation of cybersecurity technologies. These include implementing technologies through a layered, defense-in-depth strategy; consideration of the agency's unique information technology infrastructure when selecting technologies; the use of results of independent testing when assessing the technologies' capabilities; training staff on the secure implementation and use of these technologies; and ensuring that the technologies are securely configured. 2 tables, 18 figures, and appended details on the study's objective, scope, and methodology