A report released Thursday found that staff shortages and vacancies in key positions kept a government anti-computer-crime unit from alerting the public to dangerous computer viruses until the damage already was done. "While some warnings were issued in time to avert . . .
A report released Thursday found that staff shortages and vacancies in key positions kept a government anti-computer-crime unit from alerting the public to dangerous computer viruses until the damage already was done. "While some warnings were issued in time to avert damage, most of the warnings, especially those related to viruses, pertained to attacks under way," the General Accounting Office said in an audit of the National Infrastructure Protection Center.

The GAO, an investigative arm of Congress, blamed the delays on lack of a system to share information governmentwide and a shortage of skilled staff.

The center, created in 1998, has been operating with just 13 of the 24 employees NIPC officials say are needed to fulfill the center's responsibilities, the GAO said.