Preparing for the hazards of the Y2K computer bug will help the nation prepare for cyber attacks from terrorists, according to a White House agency coordinating plans to deal with both potential problems.
The Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO, pronounced “chow”)
was formed by Presidential Decision Directive 63, signed by
President Clinton May 22, 1998. All federal agencies have been
ordered by the directive to develop a plan to protect the nation’s
computer information systems and report to CIAO.
The millennium computer bug, or Y2K bug, has created an immediate
crisis for all businesses and federal agencies to resolve, which
could in turn help develop the means to protect the same computer
systems from terrorist attacks.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard are
currently planning a joint exercise to test their ability to function if all telephone systems are down because of the Y2K bug. The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) is preparing to test their ability to keep the nation’s power grid up and running without telephones.
“That’s an extreme backup system because that provides very little ability, or bandwith,” explained Jeffrey Hunker, director of CIAO. “The people who are closest to this, whether it be the major communications providers or the national communications system, are adamant in saying that the possibility of the public switch network (telephones) of going down is extremely remote, but it’s important to have the backup connectivity. We’re working on
that.”
The President’s Council on the Year 2000 is working specifically on
the computer bug that threatens to shut down power, communications,
transportation, and banking if it is not resolved by Jan. 1. That
office has also confirmed plans for the FEMA and National Guard
test, called COMEX/MOBEX, and also revealed plans for the power grid
test.
Both programs will use their own network of high-frequency radios.
The NERC has confirmed their plans to conduct the test on April 9.
The National Guard public relations office maintains it knows nothing about any specific test.
“It’s a perfect demonstration to America and the business community
as to why information system security is an important issue, as if
they didn’t need to know that already,” said Hunker of the Y2K
threat which is expected to cost taxpayers a minimum of $10 billion.
Much of the work to resolve the Y2K computer problem involves
mapping information systems, establishing priorities, designating
critical systems, and finding ways to solve those problems. That
process has forced businesses and federal agencies to learn how to
prepare for the additional threat of cyber attack.
“As part of PDD 63, it’s important that we create a national
capability to reconstitute after a electronic or a cyber intrusion.
If systems fail as a result of Y2K we’re going to need a national
reconstitution system in order to fix those systems. They’re not
going to come back of their own accord,” explained Hunker, in an
exclusive interview with WorldNetDaily.
CIAO is working closely with the President’s Council on the Year
2000, FEMA, and other federal agencies to develop as reconstitution
capability that can not only service federal agencies, but that can
also reach out to state, county, and local governments.
That reconstitution capability will provide a central clearinghouse
where an expert can be called. Those with computer problems from Y2K
or computer system attacks will have someone they can call to get
advice on how to get back up and operating again, according to
Hunker.
“The important point is, that system (Y2K reconstitution) is going
to be the template. We’re going to learn a lot of lessons from that
for creating this national reconstitution system in the event of
cyber attack. That’s going to be a very important issue,” said
Hunker.
Despite the concerns and preparations that are under way, Hunker joined with other government officials to emphasize that preparations for a worst case scenario do not mean the worst will happen.
“One of the issues that were working on, and I’m not suggesting that
we’re all of the way there, but it’s to ensure that we have the sort
of communications connectivity across the nation in the event that,
in the highly, highly unlikely event that the public switch network
(telephones) should be disrupted in some sort of fashion. That’s a
big issue, and we’re working on that. I mean that has to be a
central foundation of what we’re working on,” he said.
“FEMA has an extraordinary network of state, county, local emergency
planners. We’re working very closely with FEMA. When I talk of a
national reconstitution system, I’m not talking in terms of
reinventing the wheel. The essence is to tie in to the extremely
well developed and very capable network that FEMA has already
developed. So we’re working with them on that,” said Hunker.
CIAO has been working with private corporations that have critical
information systems. If there were a disruption of banking,
communications, power, and other services, government would be
impacted as much or more than the private sector. Most of the
nation’s critical infrastructures are now in the direct control of
private industry.
Those industries do not like being told what to do by the federal
government, and they don’t like talking about their problems in
front of competitors. Hunker wants to get them to do both.
CIAO has implemented another mandate contained in PDD 63 by creating
the Information Sharing and Assessment Center (ISAC). The ISAC is
expected to be fully operational within a few months. Knowing that
corporations do not want to be told what to do, Hunker has asked key
corporate leaders to design the methods which will enable the ISAC
to function.
“We’ve been very careful to understand and reflect the fact that
there are competing interests that are involved here. There’s
national security, there’s law enforcement, there’s the interests of
the corporate community, there’s privacy concerns, there’s an
economic agenda that’s associated here.
“I think that the effort to be unbiased and balanced in developing a
national plan for protecting our information systems is paying off
in the sense that I think we’ve been well received,” said Hunker.
David M. Bresnahan, a contributing editor for WorldNetDaily.com, is the author of “Cover Up: The Art and Science of Political Deception,” and offers a monthly newsletter “Talk USA Investigative Reports.”
He may be reached through email and also maintains a website.
