Homeland Security rapped over data-sharing

A GAO report has criticized the department for lagging behind on sharing security information with private companies.

Declan McCullagh Former Senior Writer

Declan McCullagh is the chief political correspondent for CNET. You can e-mail him or follow him on Twitter as declanm. Declan previously was a reporter for Time and the Washington bureau chief for Wired and wrote the Taking Liberties section and Other People's Money column for CBS News' Web site.

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Declan McCullagh

July 27, 2004 12:36 p.m. PT

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is woefully behind in the vital task of sharing computer security information with private companies, government auditors said Tuesday. The report from the General Accounting Office said the DHS has "not yet developed a plan that describes how it will carry out its information-sharing responsibilities."

One of the Bush administration's highly-touted security plans is to create sector-by-sector Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISAC), virtual nerve centers that could recognize and evaluate threats. In most cases, however, private companies have been handing information to the government but "had concerns" with the scant data being supplied in return, according to the GAO report.