NSF hires info security specialist

The National Science Foundation is the latest agency to hire an information

security specialist to assist the chief information officer.

Dara Murray joined NSF Sept. 24 as information systems security specialist.

She will develop, evaluate and monitor policies and controls systems for

an NSF-wide security program.

Murray has been a computer security specialist at the Nuclear Regulatory

Commission and most recently was a security program manager at the Justice

Department.

In recent months, several federal agencies have established agencywide information

security programs, in part to meet the requirements of Presidential Decision

Directive 63. PDD 63 requires all federal agencies to protect their critical

IT infrastructure by May 2003.

This past spring, the Federal Aviation Administration opened a new information

security office under its CIO with former Year 2000 lead Raymond Long as

its director.

FAA's parent agency, the Transportation Department is recruiting its own

information security expert, and CIO George Molaski hopes to elevate the

position to the senior executive level.