Kammer said NIST is currently working with other countries to develop standards for certifying safer software products. Vatis told the committee that cooperation between governments and private companies, such as Internet service providers, is crucial in being able to track and stop criminals. He said that while America Online is helpful, most other Internet service providers are not. Rhodes, of the GAO, said government computers need both increased security and coordination, particularly creation of a reporting system that would allow for the quick identification and analysis of potential problems before they spread. For instance, he said, no one really knows how many government computers were hit by the virus, including officials at the Department of Defense.
Some areas are extraordinarily weak.
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