Homeland Security rapped over data-sharing

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.