[iwar] [fc:Report:.Agencies.need.to.focus.on.cybersecurity.now--or.else]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2002-01-14 17:50:16

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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 17:50:16 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Report:.Agencies.need.to.focus.on.cybersecurity.now--or.else]
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Report: Agencies need to focus on cybersecurity now--or else 
By Joshua Dean, Government Executive, 1/14/2002
<a href="http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0102/011102j1.htm">http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0102/011102j1.htm>

Do something about cybersecurity now. 
That's the message for federal agencies in a new National Research
Council report, "Cybersecurity Today and Tomorrow: Pay Now or Pay
Later," which might well be considered a primer on all aspects of
cybersecurity. 
The report was written by the Computer Science and Telecommunications
Board of the National Research Council, the research arm of the National
Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the
Institute of Medicine. 
Herb Lin, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board's senior
scientist, said information technology has become part of the fabric of
American life. Therefore, agencies and businesses need to recognize the
"sorry state of information security," he said. 
The report described the potency of cyberattacks and their potential to
destroy the country's critical infrastructure. Cyberattacks "could
compromise systems and networks in ways that could render communications
and electric power distribution difficult or impossible, disrupt
transportation and shipping, disable financial transactions and result
in the theft of large amounts of money," it said. 
To avoid such crises and improve cybersecurity, the report suggested
that agencies: 
Designate a security coordinator and provide this person with the
resources and authority to force agency system administrators to focus
on security matters. 
Ensure "adequate information security tools are available, that everyone
is properly trained in their use and that enough time is available to
use them properly," and that all personnel are held accountable for
their actions. 
Conduct random, unannounced penetration testing, report the results to
managers and fix the problems and vulnerabilities that are found. 
Design networks, information systems and security architectures "under
the assumption that they could be connected to a compromised network or
a network that is under attack." 
Complement a defensive strategy with a disaster recovery plan.

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