CSIA Calls for Increased Adoption of Telework by the Federal Government
July 27 2005 - 1:10PM
PR Newswire (US)
CSIA Calls for Increased Adoption of Telework by the Federal
Government Cites Need to Ensure Continuity of Federal Operations in
a Disaster ARLINGTON, Va., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber Security
Industry Alliance (CSIA), the only public policy and advocacy group
dedicated exclusively to cyber security, today released a report,
"Making Telework a Federal Priority: Security is Not the Issue,"
which calls for increased adoption of telework by the federal
government. The paper highlights telework as a viable strategy for
ensuring continuity of federal operations during a disaster and
calls on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure all
agencies include telework plans in their contingencies and
continuity of operations (COOP) plans. "It is a fairly common
misconception that cyber security concerns are holding back
telework in the federal government. However, our research indicates
that not only are the cyber security and technology requirements
achievable, but that telework can in fact be beneficial to an
agency's overall security by providing a viable strategy for
maintaining continuity of operations during a security incident or
natural disaster," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of CSIA.
"Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that Washington
must prepare itself for a disruption to its transportation system.
A more flexible workforce that is able to work from virtual
locations would certainly lessen the impact of an attack." In
addition to business continuity planning, other benefits of
telework include the reduction of traffic congestion and air
pollution, as well as productivity and retention gains for
employers, which have been well- documented in the private sector
where telework is more common. According to the report, the federal
government has made little progress on telework despite 15 years of
pilot programs, presidential directives, legislative mandates and
even the threat to cut funding for substandard efforts. After
analyzing the obstacles to telework in the federal sector, CSIA
determined that cultural and budgetary barriers, not technology
ones, are hampering its adoption. The two biggest obstacles
standing in the way of expanding telework in the federal sector are
weak incentives for agencies since they must return any money saved
from reduced overhead expenses, such as office space costs, to the
federal treasury and lack of support from managers who prefer to
have employees in the same physical location. Other barriers cited
by the General Accounting Office (GAO) include a lack of full
funding to support telework initiatives and a shortage of training
and information on telework. GAO did not list technology or cyber
security as an obstacle. In addition to encouraging OMB to have
agencies include telework in their COOP plans, CSIA outlines the
following policy recommendations to the Administration and Congress
to expand federal telework programs: * Include telework in the
President's Management Agenda (PMA) for e- government. PMA calls
for expanding e-government and creating an effective IT workforce.
Its goal is to make the federal government the best manager,
innovator and user of information, services and information systems
in the world. Telework clearly falls within PMA's stated goals and
CSIA encourages the White House to highlight telework in the PMA. *
Provide endorsement by the highest levels of federal agency
management. Telework requires a commitment from employees and
management to be successful. Top managers must be clear, forceful
and sincere in their endorsement of telework initiatives. *
Encourage state and local governments to adopt telework. As a
public sector leader, the federal government should be a role model
for state and local government agencies, who could also benefit
greatly from telework programs. * Explore new benefits for
telework. Congress and the Administration should continually look
to tap new benefits from telework. CSIA is planning a
public-private Town Hall Forum on "Making Telework a Federal
Priority" later this year to help create further discussion.
Today's report also offers cyber security guidelines for ensuring a
safe telework environment and provides telework resources for
federal managers and employees. To obtain a copy, please visit
http://www.csialliance.org/. About the Cyber Security Industry
Alliance CSIA is the only advocacy group dedicated exclusively to
enhancing global cyber security through public policy, education,
awareness and technology. The organization is led by CEOs from the
world's top security providers, who offer the technical expertise,
depth and focus to encourage a better understanding of cyber
security issues. It is the belief of the CSIA that a comprehensive
approach to ensuring the security, integrity and availability of
global information systems is fundamental to national and economic
stability. To learn more about the CSIA, please visit our Web site
at http://www.csialliance.org/ or call +1-703-894-2742. Members of
the CSIA include BindView Corp. (NASDAQ:BVEW); Check Point Software
Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP); Citadel Security Software Inc.
(NASDAQ:CDSS); Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS); Computer
Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:CA); Entrust, Inc.
(NASDAQ:ENTU); Internet Security Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ISSX); iPass
Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAS); Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:JNPR); McAfee,
Inc. (NYSE:MFE); PGP Corporation; Qualys, Inc.; RSA Security Inc.
(NASDAQ:RSAS); Secure Computing Corporation (NASDAQ:SCUR); Surety,
Inc.; Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) and TechGuard Security,
LLC. DATASOURCE: Cyber Security Industry Alliance CONTACT: Michelle
Schafer of Merritt Group, +1-703-390-1530, or , for the Cyber
Security Industry Alliance Web site: http://www.csialliance.org/
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