The government is in the process of formulating a National Framework on Information Security that will provide guidelines for practices in network security for public and private sector bodies.

The frameowrk is currently being drafted by the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministr, and is expected to contain over -riding guidelines and policies on what needs to be put in place in terms of network security practices within organisations.

According to the Ministry's communications and multimedia division special officer Hasannudin Saidin, the framework would also cover the institutional arrangements in terms of supervising and regulating the network security practices.

He added that the Ministry will be seeking views and ideas from experts in the network security marketplace to be incorporated in the draft to put in place a sound framework.

Hasanuddin was speaking at a Press conference in petaling Jaya last week on the InfoSecurity 2000 conference, which will be held for two days beginning July 10 at Pan Pacific Glenmarie, Petaling Jaya. The conference is being coorganised by the Ministry, the national Institute of Public Adminstratiom (INTAN) and the Malaysian National Computer Confederation (MNCC).

Themed Building the Trust, the conference aims to provide a forum for professionals, academics, practitioners and others who are directly or indirectly involved with information security to share experiences, research results, development activities, applications and ideas.

The conference covers four broad areas: policies/laws/procedures/ethics/issues, applications, network/Internet security and techniques and tools.

Deputy Director of INTAN's Management Technology Centre (Imatec) Dr Raja Malik Raja Mohamed, who is chairman of the event, said the organisers expect at least 200 attendees at the conference.

"We feel that a conference on information security is timely because the global nature of the Internet and the rapid evolvement of information technology with its various benefits and opportunitiesposes new threat to information security. This forum would take stock of all levels of security form policy right down to details of operations and mechanism," he said.

"We also want to create awareness that information security must be put inplace in total as a part of an organisation. An organisation must adopt all levels of security to address issues like trust," he added.

Raja Maliksaid the event is believed to be the first of its kind and is hoped to spin off other activities on information security.

Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Amar Leo Moggie is expected to officially open the conferencewhile the closing will be officiated by secretary general Tan Sri Nuraizah Abdul Hamid.