The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has announced the near-completion of security upgrades on its existing IT infrastructure that will soon require staffs to utilise smartcards to gain entry on the agency's system.

According to Fred Donelly, ABS security operations team leader, the modifications are aimed to bolster the bureau's IT security wall and at the same time provide employees unique access to the soon-to-be improved ABS IT network.

"The plan at this stage is to have those (smartcards) rolled out definitely by end of financial year so people will be using smartcards to log on to their desktops and notebooks every day," The Australian reported Donelly as saying in an interview.

The ABS security personnel added that the agency will be the first government department in Australia that will employ the smartcard security technology, which will allow bureau employees to enter the ABS premises and use their respective work stations.

The whole upgrade process, which will also see the entire bureau migrating to Microsoft's Windows 7 Desktop platform, is expected to be completed by the second half of 2012, with the software upgrade set to be wrapped up by March next year and the security phase by June afterwards.

ABS officials have also intimated that both IT overhauls were part of the security improvements started in 2009 and set to reach final roll out over the next five years, which serve as the agency's proactive measures of preventing breaches while ensuring smooth operation.

The new network security protocol, according to Donelly, operates on the premise of 'two-factor authentication' that essentially requires the inputs of "something you know and something you have."

Also, while tablet computers have yet to make their mark as common workplace devices, the ABS has not ruled out the possibility that they will soon find their way on Australian government office set up.

However, the well-loved iPad may not be endorsed by Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) as a secured gadget that government functionaries can alternately use apart from the usual desktop computer systems common on every workstations.

"Apple doesn't give you an interface to load any security software on an iPad ... and it's different to managing a traditional desktop where you can load antivirus software and firewalls," Donelly explained in pointing out the disadvantages of the million-selling mobile computer.

So far, according to The Australian, the DSD has only affixed its seal of approval on Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet, which ironically may cease to exist soon, experts said, and no thanks to its lacklustre sales performance since its release.