WASHINGTON -- Once a cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security is established, the Bush administration plans to convene a panel of government and private-sector experts to determine the legal guidelines for subjecting tens of thousands of private-sector employees to background investigations.
The panel -- outlined in the president's National Strategy for Homeland Security released last week (see story) -- would be convened jointly by the secretary of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney general. It would examine whether current employer liability statutes and privacy concerns would hinder "necessary background checks for personnel with access to critical infrastructure facilities or systems." http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,72921,00.html
