Spyware Action Confirm by GCSB
Spyware Action Confirm by GCSB
March 2008 Government security agency GCSB has confirmed it has stepped up efforts to ensure government agencies don't inadvertently buy hardware containing spyware. It says classified information could be at risk if computer networking equipment was purchased from non-trusted sources. A spokesman says GCSB has both voluntary guidelines and mandatory rules that require equipment to adhere to certain international standards, depending on the level of classified information they may handle. While there has been no change in policy, GCSB has become more "prescriptive" in applying those rules, the spokesman says. The spokesman says there was no specific incident that had prompted that. "We have got to be really careful in today's environment, and we see the need to step up to that environment. "It is a very complex world out there and it is changing day to day and the threats are coming from multiple directions." Industry magazine Computerworld reported that the "beefed up" policy prevented the purchase of equipment manufactured in China, which has been accused of engaging in electronic espionage, and other unnamed countries. The GCSB spokesman says the security agency's guidelines do not prevent equipment from China from being used to handle lower levels of classified information. He would not say whether, in practice, that was the case with more sensitive material, but says GCSB does not "single out" any countries. "The policy itself does not say which countries we can and can't purchase components from." The spokesman would not speculate on whether government agencies might be discouraged in some circumstances from using a new mobile phone network that is being built by NZ Communications with the assistance of Chinese network equipment giant Huawei. Industry analyst Ovum last week said that Huawei's aggressive expansion into the global network equipment market had "struck fear into the hearts of the established equipment providers." The company was emerging as a serious force in the software market with software sales last year of US$1.4 billion, it said. In May last year, Germany's domestic intelligence service discovered computers in the office of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and other ministries had been hacked, suspecting China's People's Liberation Army of involvement. German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the incident triggered fears in Germany that China might also have infiltrated the computer systems of leading German businesses in order to steal technology secrets. ..TOM PULLAR-STRECKER
Computer and Internet Security news provided here represents global independent resources. The information represented here is © by the stated author.
