Managing Web records is critical, NARA says.The National Archives National Archives, official depository for records of the U.S. federal government, established in 1934 by an act of Congress. Although displeasure concerning the method of keeping national records was voiced in Congress as early as 1810, the United States continued and Records Administration (NARA Nara (nä`rä), city (1990 pop. 349,349), capital of Nara prefecture, S Honshu, Japan. An ancient cultural and religious center, it was founded in 706 by imperial decree and was modeled after Chang'an (see Xi'an), the capital of T'ang China. ) is advising webmasters and records managers to reuse reuse - Using code developed for one application program in another application. Traditionally achieved using program libraries. Object-oriented programming offers reusability of code via its techniques of inheritance and genericity. their IT system risk assessments to establish records management controls. NARA also recommends performing a risk mitigation MITIGATION. To make less rigorous or penal. 2. Crimes are frequently committed under circumstances which are not justifiable nor excusable, yet they show that the offender has been greatly tempted; as, for example, when a starving man steals bread to satisfy to ensure the authenticity The correct attribution of origin such as the authorship of an e-mail message or the correct description of information such as a data field that is properly named. Authenticity is one of the six fundamental components of information security (see Parkerian Hexad). , integrity, and usefulness of agency information on their Web sites. The importance of risk assessments and mitigation were a major part of new guidance NARA released in January. The document, almost seven years in the making, is a high-level guide to improve and standardize stan·dard·ize v. 1. To cause to conform to a standard. 2. To evaluate by comparing with a standard. the management of agency, Web sites and online records, said Howard Lowell, director of NARA's modern records program. "Managing Web records properly is essential to effective Web site operations, especially the mitigation of the risks an agency, faces by using the Web to carry out agency business," NARA noted in the guidance. The NARA guidance is divided into three sections--general background, responsibilities, and requirements; managing Web records; and scheduling Web records--and each part tries to answer common questions from webmasters and records officers. Agencies should conduct a risk assessment of their Web sites by evaluating certain factors such as records management threats, visibility, consequences of compromised records, and sensitivity of the records. Once an agency has determined its Web site vulnerabilities, NARA recommends mitigating those risks by * documenting the systems used to create and maintain Web records * ensuring that Web records are created and maintained in a secure environment * implementing standard operating procedures standard operating procedure Medtalk A technique, method or therapy performed 'by the book,' using a standard protocol meeting internally or externally defined criteria; a formal, written procedure that describes how specific lab operations are to be performed. for the creation, use, and management of Web records and maintaining adequate written documentation of those procedures * creating and maintaining Web records according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. these documented standard operating procedures * training agency staff in the standard operating procedures *developing a retention schedule for Web records and obtaining official NARA approval of that retention schedule. NARA also suggests taking frequent snapshots of the Web site as historical documentation and tracking changes to the site between snapshots. Additionally, the agency addresses ways to preserve links to other sites and schedule Web record transfer to NARA. To view the NARA report, visit www.archiyes.gov/records_management/ policy_and_guidance/managing_web_records_ind ex.html. |
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