The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday that Oracle Corp. will provide its database software with preconfigured secure settings, a move that could greatly decrease the agency's vulnerability to Internet-based attacks.

The agreement could serve as a model for other government agencies and businesses looking to fortify their computers against hackers and Internet worms, which have caused millions of dollars in damage over the past months, observers said.

Many software products come with low security settings to minimize conflicts during installation, requiring technicians to change default passwords and close other vulnerabilities once installed.

Software updates to "patch" security holes often conflict with existing systems as well, further complicating network administration.

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