Few people have adequate training to defend government Web sites, and those who do seldom work in government for long, three panelists told the House Science Committee's subcommittee on technology. In addition, government security experts often find their advice isn't followed, said Raymond Kammer, director of the National Institutes for Standards and Technology, which recommends security measures for federal computers.
Hackers are often nearly impossible to trace unless they boast of their actions.
In the most common type of attack, hackers overwhelm Web sites with a flood of requests for information, causing the site to slow or shut down. Hackers also can redirect visitors to a fake Web site that appears to be the official site, as happened earlier this month to the Senate site. APB Multimedia Inc. All rights reserved.