NCJ Number
201475
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 30 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 72,74-80,84
Date Published
July 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes the computer security needs of law enforcement and discusses products that meet these needs.
Abstract
In the wake of high-profile attacks on FBI and other government and law enforcement Web sites, agencies need to reevaluate their computer security systems. The author begins by describing how firewalls work and their vulnerabilities. One limitation of firewalls is that they do not provide enough information back to the security professional to know whether the firewall is effectively protecting the network. The article encourages law enforcement agencies to consider using Network IDS’s to protect the network and Host IDS’s to protect individual computers. Next, the importance of authentication methods to allow authorized users to access the protected data. The most common type of authentication method is a password system, but password systems are too weak to protect confidential data. The author describes some of the other types of authentication methods on the market that are more secure, such as SafeWord Premier Access and MobilePass. The next section discusses the importance of encryption-related products, which protects data once it is actually transmitted within the network. Encryption allows for the authentication of unaltered data and the authentication of network users. In this way, confidential data sent through the network cannot be tapped into by anyone other than the intended recipient. Finally, the article examines virus protection, and describes the PC-cillin product made by Trend Micro. The article includes a textbox on how to assess ones vulnerability to cyber attack.