TEL AVIV — The Israel Army has launched an effort to improve information security.

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Officials said the Defense Ministry has approved funds to take immediate measures to improve IT security. They said the measures would include the procurement of thousands of advanced computers, the installation of security and encryption programs that would warn commanders of unauthorized or suspicious downloading of data.

The computers were ordered from the U.S. company Hewlett Packard in a program that was financed by American military aid to Israel. Officials said the computers contain keyboards that could be accessed by a smart card that identifies the user through his fingerprint.

Officials said the new security effort would prevent the copying of data from military computers. They said anybody who seeks to copy data without authorization would spark an alert at the military's Information Security Unit.

A military investigation has determined huge breaches in security that enabled Ms. Kam to steal the data. Ms. Kam served in the office of the chief of the military's Central Command from 2005 through 2007. Her commander, Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, has been appointed deputy chief of staff.

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