Statement of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller Regarding Webster Commission Review of FBI Security Programs

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

For Immediate Release

April 4, 2002

Statement of FBI Director Robert S. Mueller Regarding Webster Commission Review of FBI Security Programs:

I want to thank Judge Webster, the Commission and the dozens of specialists and staff for their independent and thorough review. I am making this report available to all FBI employees because it is so instructive on the importance and urgency with which the FBI must treat its security.

I am very appreciative of the recognition of the progress we have made in building an effective, comprehensive approach to security. I also agree that we have much more to do but I am confident we are on track to accomplish what this report envisions. Ultimately, our goal goes beyond all the new technology, all the new training, and all the new procedures to make security as much a part of our culture as any other daily business that we do.

I appreciate the support Attorney General Ashcroft and the Congress are giving to our efforts.

In the end, we must capitalize on this historic opportunity to make badly needed improvements. The structures created, the technology and training being put in place, and the elevation of the program within our priorities help us accomplish this critical task. And while we can never completely eliminate the possibility of a trusted person betraying his country, we can, we must, and we are making these changes part of our everyday way of doing business - - part of our culture.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2002
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT REGARDING
THE WEBSTER COMMISSION REPORT

WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General John Ashcroft issued the following statement regarding the Webster Commission report on the internal security procedures of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

"The FBI is the principal guardian of America's domestic security, and its internal security systems must be impervious to compromise. Regrettably, the report by the Webster Commission demonstrates how a trusted insider, through repeated acts of betrayal and treachery over more than twenty years, was able to exploit deficiencies in FBI internal security systems and procedures to cause grievous harm to the national security of the United States."

"While much remedial work remains to be done, I am pleased that FBI Director Robert Mueller already has instituted a number of important reforms to improve internal security at the Bureau. Under Director Mueller's leadership, a new Security Division has been established that will centralize responsibility for internal security at an executive level within the FBI. In addition, the FBI has taken steps to limit access to sensitive information, eliminate vulnerabilities of information technology systems, expand the use of polygraph examinations, and increase security awareness and training."

"I want to thank Judge Webster and the other members of the Commission for their service in conducting this review of internal security at the FBI and producing this valuable report. I also want to commend FBI Director Mueller for moving ahead with critical reforms in the midst of running the largest criminal investigation in our nation's history."

"The lessons learned from the Hanssen case present an historic opportunity to make substantial, durable improvements to the FBI's internal security. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that all necessary security reforms at the FBI continue to be implemented as soon as possible."

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