Quoting from the referenced article below, "Criminals today have guns," Reno said. "Soon they will have computers and other weapons of mass destruction." Are computers now being equated with Chem/Bio/Nuclear weapons by the Federal Government? I would certainly hope not, even though I appreciate the problems associate with IW-Protect. Regards, Martin Jordan > -----Original Message----- > From: 7Pillars Partners [SMTP:partnersat_private] > Sent: Friday, March 06, 1998 1:07 PM > To: g2i list; IWAR list > Subject: (g2i) US Infrastructure Protection Center > > U.S. moves on hacker threats > > By Torsten Busse > InfoWorld Electric > > Posted at 3:07 PM PT, Mar 5, 1998 > U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has announced an interagency effort > to track > and analyze electronic threats to the > nation's critical infrastructures, such as communications, > transportation, > and energy networks. > > The new National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), headed by > Associate > Deputy Attorney General Michael > Vatis, will include the Computer Investigations and Infrastructure > Threat > Assessment Center of the U.S. Federal > Bureau of Investigation, and will add real-time intrusion-detection > capabilities for cyberattacks directed at various > national, electronic infrastructures. > > "Our telecommunications systems are more vulnerable than ever before > as we > rely on technology more than ever > before," Reno said. > > The NIPC will coordinate the efforts of a number of government > agencies in > setting up and operating defenses against > cyberspace intrusions from both inside and outside the borders of > the United > States. Effective defense will depend on > that cooperation, Reno said. > > Reno will ask the U.S. Congress to commit $64 million for the NIPC > in fiscal > year 1999, a sum that will allow the > establishment of six additional computer investigation centers in > U.S. > cities. > > The private sector will also have a vital role to play in the > electronic > defense, Reno said. She called for direct > electronic links between the private sector and law enforcement > agencies in > what she termed a "significant departure" > from established procedures. However, those closer links must be set > up > within the confines of the U.S. Constitution > and cannot infringe on individual rights and confidentiality, she > said. > > The dimensions of the threat will also require international > collaboration, > given the possibility that someone "can sit in > the kitchen in St. Petersburg, Russia, and can steal money from a > bank in New > York," Reno said. "Cyberspace > crosses borders." > > One of law enforcement agencies' biggest challenges currently is to > understand the origin of a cyberattack, Reno said. > This includes determining whether an attack is domestic or > international, and > whether it is the work of a terrorist, a > foreign state, a juvenile trying to crack the latest firewall, or a > disgruntled worker getting back at a supervisor, she > said. > > For that reason, the NIPC will strive to set up procedures that will > best > allow government agencies to analyze the > nature and origin of the attacks and to assign responsibility to the > appropriate agency in a speedy manner. It will also > be in charge of developing the means and methods of sharing > information and > equipment among agencies. > > The NIPC will also develop training programs for state and local > agencies, > which Reno said are on the front line > against cyberattacks. > > "Criminals today have guns," Reno said. "Soon they will have > computers and > other weapons of mass destruction." > > Reno also set up a special working group at the Department of > Justice to > streamline research and development efforts > aimed at cybercrimes. > > Initially the NIPC, which will be housed at FBI headquarters, will > employ 85 > FBI agents and 40 employees from the > Secret Service and the departments of Defense, Transportation, and > Energy, > said Kenneth Geide, the deputy chief of > NIPC. Eventually, the center will add employees from other federal > agencies > and the private sector. Funding > mechanisms have not yet been finalized. > > In October 1997, the President's Commission on Critical > Infrastructure > Protection recommended that the government > field a real-time warning capability modeled upon the military's > air-defense > and missile-warning system. > > Torsten Busse is a San Francisco correspondent for the IDG News > Service, an > InfoWorld affiliate. > > >
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