Posted on 03/21/2002 11:09:43 AM PST by Stand Watch Listen
The Department of Defense is preparing to implement the most sweeping restrictions yet on foreign information technology (IT) workers. This planned policy—which will cover one-third of civilian federal employees—will ban non-U.S. citizens from a wide range of computer projects.The Departments of Justice and Treasury have instituted similar restrictions on non-citizens working in certain areas. Those steps were taken prior to last September’s attacks.
The DOD policy—slated for adoption within 60 to 90 days—extends restrictions on foreign nationals handling secret information to “sensitive but unclassified positions,” which include the growing number of contract workers who process paychecks, write software, track supplies and maintain e-mail systems.
Officials said the restrictions are needed to get a handle on the proliferation of foreign nationals who work on government computer systems, once considered an area of vulnerability. However, the plan has raised concerns about being shortsighted.
The United States faces serious shortages of professionals who can manage complex computer systems, databases and networks prevalent in government agencies. The high-tech industry relies heavily on Indian, Chinese and other Asian workers—a group that long has complained about being unfairly suspected of questionable loyalty to the U.S.
Some authorities say barring foreign nationals from certain computer projects opens the prospect that key jobs will go unfilled due to a lack of qualified personnel—a situation worsened by the relatively small number of U.S. students who pursue advanced technology degrees. Costs could also rise sharply as higher-paid U.S. citizens replace foreign workers.
Even Richard A. Clarke, top cyber-security advisor to President Bush, has expressed his own doubts about the restrictions. “Rather than worry about what country somebody was born in, we ought to focus on the design and the architecture of our information systems,” he said. But Clarke does favor the use of background checks, recorders that track the keystrokes by programmers and stricter rules on individuals handling classified data.
Two years ago, the General Accounting Office studied the use of foreign contractors by federal agencies working to fix year 2000 software problems. It found foreign nationals working on 85 contracts for “mission-critical” software. Several of the agencies investigated exercised little control over contractors’ work.
For example, the Navy sent software or data associated with 36 mission-critical systems to a foreign-owned contractor yet “could not readily determine how the code and data were protected during and after transit to the contractor facility,” the GAO report said. “In many instances, the [Defense Department] was not aware when some programming changes were being done by a contractor who used foreign nationals,” said David L. McClure, who led the GAO study.
Lapses were found in the departments of Energy, Agriculture and State, as well as NASA and other agencies. None of those departments is now considering new restrictions in the use of foreign nationals, although some require their regular employees to be U.S. citizens.
DOD previously had been developing a system of security restrictions for foreign nationals who were working on unclassified computer operations, but the events on Sept. 11 prompted the plans for more restrictive measures. Pete Nelson, the Defense Department’s deputy director for personnel security, said no details would be made public until the policy becomes final.
As far as the shortage of workers is concerned, that's a ploy for the companies to hire cheaper labor. National Defense should come before personal profits.
My exact thought!
All the foreign IT workers I've worked with in the past decade have been paid as much or more than their American counterparts. That "cheaper labor" excuse might be valid for contracted projects sent off-shore, but the H1B folks in this country get prevailing wages.
I wander how they measure cost of national security. Exactly what kind of cost savings are realized by placing American lives and national security in jeopardy. These damn politicians scrimp on taxpayer's dollars when it comes to security but splurge when spending on research as to why cow p!ss splatters when it hits a rock. Throw them all out of office and start fresh.
"The United States faces serious shortages of cheap professionals who can manage complex computer systems, databases and networks prevalent in government agencies." It's easier to run a sweat shop with IT people from India, Bangladesh, etc. than to expect Americans to put up with the same crap.
Don't get me wrong, many of these foreign IT people are damn good. But they come from pre-capitalistic societies that turn out lots of good technical people who have no opportunity to practice their profession at home. Long hours at low pay (relative to what Americans would tolerate) starts looking pretty good to them. Compared to what's available in their homelands, it's paradise.
Another nasty little secret not mentioned in this article is that affirmative action inside the government is still sancrosanct, even after 9-11. Companies that import IT workers from Southwest Asia are told that their workers are rated as "official minorities", and therefore eligible for preferences in contracting.
This article leaves much unsaid, but I generally applaud the trend indicated. There are plenty of dirty little secrets in the IT world, especially in government shops. This straightens out a bit of it.
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