FW: NIPC Daily Report for 15 November 01

From: George Heuston (georgeh@private)
Date: Thu Nov 15 2001 - 10:46:51 PST

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    -----Original Message-----
    From: NIPC Watch [mailto:nipc.watch@private] 
    Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 9:13 AM
    To: daily
    Subject: NIPC Daily Report for 15 November 01
    
    
    NOTE:  Please understand that this is for informational purposes only
    and does not constitute any verification of the information contained in
    the report nor does this constitute endorsement by the NIPC or the FBI.
    
    Significant Changes and Assessment - No significant changes.
    
    Private Sector - Although the overall number of viruses being detected
    each month is falling, the severity of the viruses that are being
    written is increasing.  This year's Code Red and Nimda worms are perfect
    examples of this trend, according to Vincent Gullotto, the senior
    director of McAfee Avert Labs.  As macro and VBS (Visual Basic Script)
    viruses are becoming less prevalent and more generally defended against,
    malicious code has turned more to worms and exploiting security
    vulnerabilities, he said.  Macro viruses attack the feature offered in
    many applications that allows users to create their own mini-programs,
    or macros.  Worms are distinct from viruses because they are able to
    spread themselves, rather than relying on user action to spread them, as
    viruses do.  Companies are largely doing a good job of protecting
    themselves against mass mailer worms that spread using e-mail
    attachments, by blocking those attachments from entering the network,
    Gullotto said.  (Source: Infoworld, 15 November)
    
    Government - A congressional panel has called a group of high-tech
    industry leaders to testify this week about the precautions the private
    sector is taking to secure their software and networks.  The House
    Energy and Commerce Committee's Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
    Subcommittee will hear from security officials at Microsoft, Oracle, EDS
    and a handful of other major industry players when it convenes a hearing
    on cyber security, 15 November.  An anonymous committee aide said that
    Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., wants to Aexamine the
    efforts of private industry to address these security issues.@  The
    industry leaders could face questions about their security precautions
    in the wake of the attacks and what role government should play in
    supporting private sector cyber security efforts.  The committee aide
    said that the meeting was not targeted directly at critical
    infrastructure questions, but would address the important electronic
    assets provided and operated by the companies that have been called to
    testify.  (Source: Newsbytes, 14 November)
    
    International -  An official of Germany=s Federal Intelligence Service
    (BND) has suggested that there are indications that persons sympathetic
    to Usama bin Ladin in Germany may be planning cyber attacks against
    infrastructures.  Dieter Kaundinya, a terrorism expert with BND, has
    been quoted in the press as stating that Islamic extremists in Germany
    are thinking of Internet-based attacks.  These attacks could be intended
    to destroy infrastructures.  Kaundinya=s remarks were made at a meeting
    of the Federal Police Agency (BKA) in Wiesbaden, Germany on 14
    November.  At this meeting, representatives from the BKA and the BND and
    the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution were
    discussing methods of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
    (Source: Heise Online and Associated Press, 14 November)
    
    
    Military - NTR
    
    
    U.S. SECTOR INFORMATION:
    
    Water Supply - On 13 November, a panel of water security experts
    cautioned public utility officers from around the country about ongoing
    physical, chemical and biological threats to public drinking water
    supplies and predicted new requirements for expanded water testing and
    monitoring.  The panel was convened by the Hach Company, and discussed
    threats to the security of public drinking water supplies at the
    American Water Works Association Water Quality Technology Conference and
    Expo.  Industry experts on the panel were questioned by audience members
    about potential threats and plans of action.  The panel included leading
    engineers, consultants, environmental program managers and a retired
    executive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  (Source:
    Water Technology Online, 14 November)
    
    The House Committee on Science was expected to hear testimony on 14
    November, from a number of witnesses on the Water Infrastructure
    Security and Research Development Act and the research needed to protect
    water systems from terrorism.  The bill, HR 3178, is sponsored by
    Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-NY, Rep. Brian Baird, D-WA, and other
    members of Congress, to authorize $60 million over five years for
    research into technologies and methods to prevent and respond to
    terrorism against drinking water and wastewater agencies.  The following
    areas of research will include cyber security, physical asset security,
    and detection, monitoring and treatment of chemical, biological and
    radiological contaminants.  The bill is similar to Senate Bill 1593,
    which was marked up last week.  The committee anticipates passing the
    bill and sending it to the House floor on 15 November.  (Source: Water
    Technology Online, 14 November)
    
    Transportation -  NTR.
    
    Electrical Power - Commercial energy demand in the next 15 years is
    expected to grow faster than previously believed and fewer nuclear
    plants will be retired, government forecasters predicted in an annual
    energy outlook.  The Energy Information Administration (EIA) said total
    US energy demand is expected to grow by almost one-third between 2002
    and 2020.  EIA attributed the higher growth rate to continuing rapid
    increases in use of computers, office equipment, telecommunications and
    other equipment.  Nuclear generating capacity is projected to decline
    from 2002 but not at the rate forecast last year.  Nuclear plant
    retirements are based upon the costs of maintaining operation, compared
    with the cost of building new capacity, which is largely fired by
    natural gas.  However, EIA isn't expecting any new nuclear plants to be
    built by 2020, despite a push by the Bush administration and the nuclear
    industry to begin a new round of construction.  (Source: OGJ Online, 14
    November)
    
    
    Telecommunications - On 14 November, The Federal Communications
    Commission (FCC)  formed an executive council responsible for
    coordinating the commission's response to a potential terrorist attack
    on the nation's telecommunications network.  According to information
    released by the FCC, the new Homeland Security Policy Council will
    "assist the commission in evaluating and strengthening measures for
    protecting US communications services," and "assist the commission in
    ensuring rapid restoration of communications services that have been
    disrupted as the result of threats to, or actions against, our nation's
    homeland security."   The council will be run by senior staff from each
    of the FCC's seven major bureaus, and is to be directed by FCC Chief of
    Staff Marsha MacBride.  The council also will have two deputy directors,
    Linda Blair and Brad Perry, both deputy chiefs in the commission's
    enforcement bureau.   (Source: Newsbytes, 14 November)
    
    Gas and Oil Storage Distribution - NTR
    Banking and Finance - NTR
    Emergency Services - NTR
    Government Services - NTR
    



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