U.S. agency to fix anti-terror Web program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A $90 million, Web-based anti-terror program created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is being replaced after an Oct. 27 memo cited its flaws.

The network, which is used for accessing susceptible anti-terrorism data by local and state governments, is said by Homeland Security officials to have poorly organized information and duplicative capabilities, The Washington Post reported Friday.

The program, named the Homeland Security Information Network, was reportedly listed as a "high-risk area" by the Government Accountability Office in 2006 and 2007.

After Homeland Security officials announced publicly that the program was quickly improving, members of the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee wrote to Homeland Security Undersecretary for Management Paul A. Schneider expressing irritation about not being informed of the changes beforehand, the Post said.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke told the Post that the department was "upgrading our systems over the next year, the same way that Microsoft puts out a new software version each year.

A meeting to update the House committee on the program's changes is set for next week.