Access Control
& Security Systems

The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board (PCIPB) has issued a draft plan for upgrading security protections for the nation's cyberspace infrastructure. The strategy emphasizes that protection of the nation's information technology infrastructure is not a job that government can do alone, but one that requires the cooperation and diligence of home computer users, business users, and state and local governments.

The overall national strategic goal is to empower all Americans to secure their portions of cyberspace. This strategic goal will be accomplished through six major tools for empowering people and organizations to do their part:

• Awareness and Information: Educate and create awareness among users and owners of cyberspace of the risks and vulnerabilities of their system and the means to mitigate these risks.
• Technology and Tools: Produce new and more secure technologies, implement those technologies more quickly, and produce current technologies in a more secure way.
• Training and Education: Develop a large and well-qualified cyber-security workforce to meet the needs of industry and government, and to innovate and advance the nation's security capabilities.
• Roles and Partnerships: Foster responsibility of individuals, enterprises, and sectors for security at all levels through the use of market forces, education and volunteer efforts, public-private partnerships, and, in the last resort, through regulation or legislation.
• Federal Leadership: Improve Federal cyber-security to make it a model for other sectors by increasing accountability; implementing best practices; expanding the use of automated tools to continuously test, monitor, and update security practices; procuring secure and certified products and services; implementing leading-edge training and workforce development; and deterring and preventing cyber-attacks.
• Coordination and Crisis Management: Develop early warning and efficient sharing of information both within and between public and private sectors so that attacks are detected quickly and responded to efficiently.

This month in Access Control

• Opening Up About Door Closers
• An Enterprise Approach
• The Framework For Open Systems
• On A Higher Plane
• More from April's issue