Justice bans Net

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

Fearing a potentially disastrous cyberbreach of its systems, the Justice Department has taken a hard-core stance on applets: It has banned them. Responding to security concerns, the department is blocking script code such as Java, JavaScript and ActiveX from download via the Internet or e-mail messages because of the potential risks such code poses, said Mark A. Boster, assistant attorney general for IRM and the department's deputy chief information officer.

Fearing a potentially disastrous cyberbreach of its systems, the Justice Department has
taken a hard-core stance on applets: It has banned them.


Responding to security concerns, the department is blocking script code such as Java,
JavaScript and ActiveX from download via the Internet or e-mail messages because of the
potential risks such code poses, said Mark A. Boster, assistant attorney general for IRM
and the department’s deputy chief information officer.


“We’re real concerned,” said Boster, who will step down from his post
this month (see story, Page 50).


Using the script languages, a malicious programmer could embed an applet in an e-mail
or a Web site that could do something such as copy a hard drive and transmit the
information outside the department, he said. The danger is that once an applet is
downloaded and running, it could improperly access or alter data on a host computer or
network, Boster said.


A Danish webmaster last year informed Microsoft Corp. of a security hole in the
Internet Explorer browser that could let a Web site operator penetrate a PC’s hard
drive under certain circumstances.


Also last year, the government-sponsored Computer Emergency Response Team posted an
advisory about a security gap that would let a hacker invade JavaScript to monitor a
Web-brow-sing session remotely. CERT’s advice: Turn JavaScript off on the browser.


Justice is working with both Microsoft and Netscape Communications Corp. to develop a
browser that could be used across the department and would block script.“We have a
single point of presence to the Internet,” he said. “We’re going to
implement a standard browser, and the only browsers that work will have certain security
and identity. Then we can lock down certain functions,” such as applets.


Justice is not alone in its concern or its get-tough response, said Treasury Department
CIO James Flyzik, co-chairman of the CIO Council. “Some agencies are allowing access,
some are not,” he said.


One possible solution could be digital certificates, said Richard Guida, chairman of
the Government Information Technology Services Board’s Public Key Infrastructure
Steering Committee.


Under this method, an agency would set up a firewall and require that all senders of
applets have a digital certificate that the firewall recognizes, he said.


This method still requires some development work. The firewall would need to be
programmed with digital certificates from trusted parties, Guida said. And even so, it is
possible that a person could somehow introduce malicious script into an e-mail or onto a
Web site. But if that were to occur, it would be possible to trace the script back using
the digital certificate, he said.


“Clearly, with any type of Internet access, ActiveX and JavaScript do pose some
interesting security challenges,” Flyzik said. “We need to continue to recognize
those security challenges and find the security process and procedures that allow us to
implement these kinds of technologies in a way that we can have the proper security in
place as well.”


Boster, chairman of the CIO Council’s Security Committee, said Justice is working
with vendors so that organizations using scripts can embed a digital certificate that
could then be recognized by the department.


“We recognize the reality of blocking Java,” Boster said. “We are
actively pushing for a solution that will allow us to do the things that other
organizations are doing while being able to contain what we think could be a potentially
dangerous threat.”


Treasury has firewalls both departmentwide and within its components, Flyzik said.
There are also policies and procedures about using applets and script languages.


But he said more needs to be done. “In the long run, I think it’s clear that
Java and JavaScript are going to be key components of any agency—government or
private sector,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine JavaScript not being part
of your strategic applications, so we’re going to need to find a way to step up to
the security challenge to allow these capabilities and address the concerns.”

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.