With generous support from Congress, the Library developed further its security in a climate of heightened alert while continuing to carry out its mission of sustaining, preserving and making accessible its universal collections. In coordination with other agencies on Capitol Hill, the Library continued upgrading its perimeter security, entrance and exit screening procedures, emergency preparedness capabilities and internal controls safeguarding the Library's priceless collections. The Library's Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness moved forward on the Library's Security Enhancement Implementation Plan while focusing on emergency preparedness.
To ensure the security and integrity of its computer systems, the Library issued an Information Technology (IT) Security Plan based on the guidelines of federal security "best practices." Developed by representatives from throughout the Library, the IT Security Plan will ensure the protection and safeguarding of IT data and systems in an increasingly complex and uncertain environment.
During the year, the Library's Information Technology Services (ITS) office restructured the Library's firewall and installed a new Intrusion Detection System. Having established an Alternate Computer Facility in 2003, in 2004 ITS launched a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for survivability of the Library's information technology infrastructure and the more than 200 applications that the infrastructure supports. The COOP provides the foundation for a rigorous, well-documented and repeatable set of procedures for accountable management of the Library's valuable IT resources.
