Law Sets Up Nonmilitary Data Rules

Law Sets Nonmilitary Data Rules

AUTHOR:TED AGRES
Date: FEBRUARY 08, 1988

Washington - A new law gives a civilian agency the authority to set standards on access to unclassified data, including scientific and technical information. The law ends a long debate over how to protect certain types of computerized data and wrests control of such decisions from the military. "We're very pleased," said Kenneth B. Allen, senior vice president of government relations for the Information Industry Association "It's a good piece of legislation. It doesn't address all of our concerns but it's a tremendous step forward."

The law, called the Computer Security Act of 1987, passed The House last June after Frank Carlucci, then national security adviser, rescinded a 1984 administration memorandum to create a new category of "sensitive but unclassified" information. (See THE SCIENTIST November 30, 1987, p. 1). The...