Feds ditch Microsoft Access

Sep 21, 2007 14:08 GMT  ·  By

I had no idea that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was using Microsoft Access, but it seems that they were, and now they want to replace it with Java Enterprise Edition. In case you were wondering, the FBI doesn't use Access like the rest of us do; they use it to track NSL cases. NSL is short for National Security Letter - click here to find out more. Of course, they're using this cyber-enforced security measure to monitor any possible criminals on the web and to stop any threats before they happen.

In any case, it seems that the feds no longer like the Microsoft product that they used to manage their database of wiretap cases, so they replaced it with a Java Enterprise Edition application server from Red Hat subsidiary JBoss using Oracle software, as I know from GCN.

It seems that the FBI was having problems with their databases that were not automated, but people needed to work manually with them, and further more, they were not even connected between them.

So, they will be using the new software, starting next year. This will bring them a lot of good things - faster database management means not only less stress for the people that work with it, but also more efficiency. And all this in translated into better security. Real life security is starting to depend on cyber-based security.

Not that I am against Microsoft or something, but I wonder how come the Feds have used it (Microsoft Access) until now, since from time to time you get a piece of news about Microsoft product vulnerability and also, since it was not efficient enough for them. Anyway, it's a good thing that they've finally upgraded their system. See more about what problems they were facing and what they want now, by clicking this link.