Contingency planning, an integral part of the AIS Security Program, ensures the availability of critical resources and facilitates the continuity of operations in an emergency situation. The IRM staff has gathered information from VA administrations and staff offices concerning the status of contingency planning at each VA site. Follow-up and tracking activities in FY 1997 and beyond will help ensure progress regarding the level and quality of contingency plans. MISS's strategy is to continuously improve the quality of information security support and services provided to VA field facilities, to incorporate computer security into VHA's IT infrastructure, and to ensure that all security activities are compatible with VA security efforts. IT Accomplishments Virus Detection and Prevention .
Software viruses are now the popular form of attack on computer networks and data.
Most of the current viruses are maliciously destructive, while some that have been released are more of a nuisance than a threat. The common malicious viruses are designed to erase the entire contents of a user's hard drive or corrupt programs and data. Since the late 1980s hundreds of viruses have been created and have caused varying degrees of damage around the world. The effect that viruses can have on systems can be anywhere from annoying to life-threatening. Viruses have crippled networks with up to 6,000 networks being affected, while others have delayed patient diagnosis, threatened data loss, and even caused mix-ups in patient records.