[iwar] [fc:U.S..Senator.Wants.Tech.'National.Guard']

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-09-28 12:09:04
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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 12:09:04 -0700 (PDT)
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U.S. Senator Wants Tech 'National Guard'

By Jay Lyman, www.NewsFactor.com, 9/28/2001
<a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nf/20010927/tc/13820_1.html">http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nf/20010927/tc/13820_1.html>

Citing the severe stress on the nation's communications and technology
infrastructure brought by the September 11th terrorist attacks, U.S. 
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is proposing a National Guard-style corps
of volunteer information-technology professionals and equipment to be
ready for trouble. 

Wyden, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and
Space, announced his proposed tech corps on the Senate floor Wednesday
and is planning to meet with government agencies and technology firms
next week to promote the idea. 

"As we seek to prevent future disasters, we must still prepare to meet
them," Wyden told the other senators. 

"I believe the technology professionals of this nation, like all
Americans, are ready to answer the call and do their part," Wyden said. 
"The formation of a National Emergency Technology Guard will give them
that chance and ensure greater safety and stability for our communities
and our citizens in the coming days."

Instant-Message Warnings

While Wyden's proposed technology corps will focus on dealing with a
natural disaster or attack after it happens, executives at Odigo, an
instant messaging company in Israel, said that there was advanced
warning of the recent terrorist attacks via IMs to employees. 

Odigo vice president of marketing Alex Diamandis told NewsFactor that
two people at Odigo's Israeli offices received instant messages
regarding the attacks about two hours before they happened. 

While Diamandis said he could not discuss the nature or content of the
messages, Diamandis said that Israeli and U.S.  officials were notified
and that investigators interviewed Odigo employees a day or two after
the attacks. 

Crippling Effect

Meanwhile, Wyden, who has planned hearings on the matter for the science
subcommittee next week, said the September 11th attacks on U.S. 
airliners and landmarks "severely challenged" the communications
infrastructure of New York, Washington, D.C., and the rest of the
country. 

"Wireless telephone networks were severely overloaded and crashed,"
Wyden said.  "Wireless Internet access was suspended.  Telephone lines
were cut and communications for people literally in communities around
the East Coast of the United States came to a standstill."

Wyden added: "Even immediate communications needs of rescue workers,
victims, families and aid groups were a struggle to coordinate.  The New
York Times drew a conclusion that I strongly agree with: there need to
be new ways to set up emergency information systems."

Bolstering Tech Readiness

Wyden spokeswoman Lisa Raasch told NewsFactor Network the idea is still
being fleshed out, but that the senator had already met with some heads
of the high-tech industry, adding that she understood the idea had been
"quite well received."

"The idea is that especially when communication is critical to rescue
and response, we should make sure there is a reliable backbone and
infrastructure there so the important things that need to be done, can
be done," Raasch said. 

A statement from Wyden said a national volunteer organization of trained
and well-coordinated units of IT professionals from leading technology
companies ought to be in a position to stand ready with designated
computers, satellite dishes, wireless communicators and other equipment
to quickly re-create and repair compromised communications and
technology infrastructures. 

Calling on Companies

Raasch told NewsFactor that Wyden planned to meet with a number of
companies including Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) and AOL (NYSE: AOL -
news) to recruit support for the National Emergency Technology (NET)
Guard. 

"It is a volunteer notion in as much as companies would be asked to
provide resources both in equipment and personnel," she said. 

Wyden's proposal comes as a number of security experts, federal
officials and lawmakers warn that the U.S.  and its infrastructure are
not prepared for a cyber attack.  Computer Emergency Response Team
(CERT) technology group director Rich Pethia testified Wednesday before
U.S.  House committee members, telling them the spread of the Nimda
computer virus demonstrates how vulnerable the Internet and technology
infrastructure is to attack. 


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