The multi-million dinar Government Data Security Project will involve the use of the most advanced technology to protect both the hardware and software from viruses. Tenders will be out soon to implement the data security strategy, said Central Informa-tics Organisation (CIO) Under Secretary Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa.
"The government pays great attention to this project since many e-government projects in other countries have failed because of the lack of security," he told the GDN.
"Bahrain is to use the new Smart Card to guarantee privacy, protection and security of the personal data stored on it.
"The card which will come into use next year has been designed to the highest specifications and international standards followed by the European Union which is a pioneer in the field of protecting sensitive data using the EAL (Evaluation Assurance Level) technology."
Smart cards will soon give everyone in Bahrain instant access to all essential government and private sector services.
They will carry details such as passport, driving licence, CPR card, health and education records and will even double-up as debit cards for transferring cash from the bank to the e-card.
Shaikh Ahmed revealed that both VISA and Mastercard are going to switch to the Smart Card by the end of 2005 following the above standard.
He said the security strategy had been completed with the help of a specialised company.
"The budget for the execution of the strategy is 20 per cent of the whole budget for the e-government implementation," said Shaikh Ahmed, who did not disclose the costs.
"The tenders will be for implementing the strategy which comprises the holding of an executive forum to place standards and policies, programmes and training, data classification and laws, and dealing with external threats."
The whole e-government project, said Shaikh Ahmed, would link all the government ministries not only amongst each other but with the outside world via the Internet.
"Therefore it is necessary that these security procedures are followed at all levels."
Shaikh Ahmed said the network would be protected from hacking and infiltration by installing firewalls at various levels and degrees so that if one is infiltrated the others will prevent access to the network.
"All government ministries will communicate with the outside world via one connection only so that all the capabilities and efforts will be exerted in making that one connection exceptionally secure."
The physical security programme will entail taking hard copies daily, weekly, monthly and yearly and keep them safe away from the mainframe.
"The security of the premises will be ensured with round-the- clock guards and by placing contingency plan with a back-up in a location away from the CIO," said Shaikh Ahmed.
"The best and the latest anti virus software will be placed on all the hardware."
Shaikh Ahmed said encoding or encrypting the data during transmission from place to place would prevent any one from reading and benefitting from it.
"The technology used widely around the world to authenticate the user and his password is penetrable by hacker and other software specially created to crack the passwords," he added.
"We shall, therefore, use the Smart Card to access the system in order to verify the user ID and government employees' ID by authenticating the fingerprint, the body temperature as well as the password which make it all too difficult to infiltrate."
Shaikh Ahmed said the government would implement stringent laws which would treat the acts of infiltration, hacking and electronic espionage as criminal offence.
Quelle: Gulf Daily News
