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New Federal Data-Protection Guidelines Unveiled

Written by Evan Schuman
June 28th, 2006

Following a series of seemingly nonstop theft-of-data problems from quite a few government agencies recently (Veterans Affairs, IRS, Agriculture, Federal Trade Commission and the Navy), the White House has given agencies 45 days to implement new safety procedures, the Washington Post reported today.

The new security guidelines were issued today (Wed., June 28) from the White House Office of Management and Budget. The agencies will have to encrypt all data on laptop or handheld computers unless the data are classified as “non-sensitive” by an agency’s deputy director.

Agency employees also would need two-factor authentication — a password plus a physical device such as a key card — to reach a work database through a remote connection, which must be automatically severed after 30 minutes of inactivity.

To read the full Washington Post story, please click here.


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2 Comments | Read New Federal Data-Protection Guidelines Unveiled

  1. Dr Roger Hutchison Says:

    I really enjoyed this article yesterday in Storefront about OMB and their new guideline to protect data conThat type of efforts is precisely the effort that I am involved with~~ but to sensitize Govt and business as to the technology available for end of life processing of digital records, and how a guideline (and I am arguing it should be NIST) needs to be established in this vacuum of Federal and State legislation. Without should a guidelines, or standard, digital records have a strong likelihood that they can be reconstructed from improper destruction procedures and equipment.tent on laptops. Reference was made to NIST.

  2. Dr Roger Hutchison Says:

    I really enjoyed this article yesterday in Storefront about OMB and their new guideline to protect data on laptops. That type of efforts is precisely the effort that I am involved with~~ but to sensitize Govt and business as to the technology available for end of life processing of digital records, and how a guideline (and I am arguing it should be NIST) needs to be established in this vacuum of Federal and State legislation. Without should a guidelines, or standard, digital records have a strong likelihood that they can be reconstructed from improper destruction procedures and equipment.

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