Info assurance should include sharing, general says

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/1103/web-ia-11-04-03.asp

By Matthew French 
Nov. 4, 2003

HONOLULU -- The Defense Department is focusing its information 
assurance efforts too much on protection and not enough on sharing and 
availability, according to a senior official at U.S. Pacific Command.

Speaking this week at the AFCEA Asia-Pacific 2003 conference, Air 
Force Lt. Gen. Robert Dierker, deputy commander of PACOM, said the 
term information assurance usually conjures images of information 
security or protection. But just as important, he said, is equal 
emphasis on information distribution and sharing.

"One big dilemma we face every day is, how do we share information 
with our allies, coalition partners and other agency partners while 
protecting it from our adversaries?" Dierker said. "Our failure to 
share information is almost as problematic as the consequences of our 
adversaries' interception of it."

A much better balance needs to be achieved, Dierker said. The term 
assurance should mean that users "have great confidence in the 
information that it is accurate, secure and accessible by those who 
need it to support the mission, while still being protected from 
disclosure to our enemies," he said. 

Networks need to be fluid and able to adapt to rapid changes that 
accompany operations worldwide, he said. There are many cases where 
some allies and adversaries end up swapping roles, depending on what 
the collaboration context is, he said.

"For example, a humanitarian assistance partner could very well turn 
out to be a security assistance adversary," Dierker said. "Sometimes, 
even among strong allies, we have information-sharing challenges. And 
for that matter, sometimes even among our own services as well."

DOD officials have been working on an official information assurance 
policy document for about seven months, and want to have a more 
substantive plan prepared by next October.



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