Tuesday, March 10, 2009
In a recent follow-up report on a computer security audit released in 2005 by the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, the University received negative marks after implementing only five of the 33 recommended policy changes.
At first glance, these numbers seem alarming, but ultimately they do not represent a significant threat to the University’s information system. The University is doing an adequate job with regard to computer security.
Bill Myers, director of assessment and outreach for information services, said the audit was focused solely on written policy regarding security measures, not on whether or not certain practices were being conducted.
“It was about having written policy,” Myers said. “It’s not a reflection whatsoever on the security measures that we’ve implemented with our whole IT structure.”
Myers said the University practiced many of the policies included in the audit but had not finalized them on paper.
This presents a problem, according to the audit report released in 2005.
The audit reads: “When computer security policies aren’t written, people tend to make up their own ways of doing things, or don’t do anything at all. It takes only one ‘hole’ in an organization’s computer security for its data to be compromised.”
In an article published in The Kansan on March 2, Rep. Virgil Peck (R-Tyro), chairman of the legislative post audit committee, said he was “disturbed” by the University’s lack of effort to correct the problems noted in the audit.
But Myers said the University’s inability to meet the requirements was mainly due to its large size and the lengthy process required for implementation. He said all 33 requirements should be in written policy by January 2010.
Myers said the University of Kansas, one of the three universities subject to the audit, had 11 policies in draft form in addition to the five already written into policy. In comparison, K-State has seven policies in draft form with seven finalized written policies.
The University hasn’t had a major computer-related information security breach in more than five years.
“There are 16 of the policy recommendations that we don’t have anything for in writing, and that’s the post legislative committee’s concern,” Myers said. “That says nothing about whether we’re practicing the kind of security those policies would relate to.”
Though written policy is an extremely important component to information systems security and should be completed as soon as possible, the University is taking appropriate and timely action.
Response to computer security audit slow
The University has resolved few issues from the state’s 2005 audit.
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