Movement afoot to beef-up industrial cybersecurity. Senior officials from the president's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the US Department of Commerce have asked the private sector for detailed advice on how to improve cybersecurity for the nation's most critical industrial-control systems. The power industry's demand for remote access encouraged many utility companies to establish network connections between corporate systems and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that manage and control the flow of electricity and perform various other critical functions throughout the energy sector. The movement to Web-based connections has made these systems increasingly vulnerable to disruptions and attacks in cyberspace, especially because of the lack of standards to help the private sector to design security hardware and software that can be used in SCADA and other industrial systems. (Computerworld, 26 Apr) WWU Comment: This movement comes after the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office and the Office of Homeland Security held a conference on cybersecurity of digital control systems on 2 April that included both the private and public sectors. The increased use of web-based technology has increased the vulnerability of digital control systems, including SCADA systems that are vital to the operation of several US critical infrastructures. The conference attendees reiterated the need for continued information sharing between sectors, as well as the need for increased security awareness, security standards, and research and development. Pollutant found in central Florida aquifer. Central Florida's main source of drinking water contains traces of a potentially toxic chemical. The substance, composed of pesticide molecules long classified as toxic, seeped into the ground below the abandoned Tower Chemical Co. plant about a dozen miles west of Orlando. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials hope to identify the pollutant in the coming weeks and determine its health risk. Upward of 350 homes may be affected. (Associated Press, 1 May) JEA launches probe into system collapse. Thousands of Northeast Floridians boiled their drinking water as JEA customers recovered yesterday from a 12-hour power failure and JEA engineers sought to shed light on what caused the breakdown. An investigation will probe whether the power grid's highly sensitive equipment has been properly installed, maintained and inspected. The JEA also is reviewing its tree-trimming process after a sagging transmission line caused a tree to catch fire and forced the Brandy Branch Generating Station to shut down, delaying restoration of power by several hours. The city-owned utility advised its water customers who live west and north of the St. Johns River to use bottled water or boil water from the tap. (Jacksonville.com, 1 May 02) New security steps may cost airport up to $85 million. Philadelphia International Airport officials are hastening to figure out how to pay a bill of up to $85 million this year to meet new federal security requirements that all luggage be checked for bombs before being loaded on planes. Commercial airports nationwide face the challenge of installing new security scanning machines and paying for the work, part of the security response to the Sept. 11 attacks. They must meet a congressional deadline for screening all luggages for explosives by Dec. 31. Various aviation officials say renovation costs at the nation's airports could total between $2 billion and $9 billion. The federal government will finance a small portion, but Philadelphia and other airports will have to find ways to cover the rest. (Philly.com, 2 May 02) dm
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