Bush weighs future of computer security office

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0201/021301td.htm

By William New
February 13, 2001

The Bush administration is reviewing whether to continue the
operations of the government office that coordinates critical
infrastructure policy, according to the head of the office, which is
slated for termination this fall.

John Tritak, director of the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office
(CIAO), said in an interview Monday that the office's responsibilities
should be continued in some form. He said President Clinton's
directive that would sunset the office by the end of fiscal year 2001
is "not binding in any way on President Bush." If Bush chooses to
issue his own presidential directive, it would override the previous
one by Clinton.

The new administration is beginning to review the issue and is
expected to consider a range of options before deciding how to
proceed, Tritak said. If Bush does not act by the deadline, the office
simply will close.

Tritak stressed, however, that the risks of cyber terrorism "are not
going to go away." "The government relies on critical infrastructure,"
Tritak said. "It is going to be increasingly at risk as we move more
into the information age."

He added that because much critical infrastructure work has been
placed in the private sector, a new level of public-private
cooperation is needed to ensure continued security. "This is the first
time we have a national security problem the federal government can't
solve on its own."

In most security issues, the Department of Defense, the FBI or the
Federal Emergency Management Administration can handle the situation,
Tritak said. But "this is different from protecting air space from a
bomber."

Clinton's original 1998 directive creating CIAO saw cooperation as a
core assumption, Tritak said. Now the indications are that the Bush
administration also will make the issue a policy priority, both to
continue to protect government services and the national economy.

Tritak said CIAO has played a unique role in coordinating the
government's widespread efforts on critical infrastructure. He
recommended that there be a senior official responsible for
coordinating overall critical infrastructure policy, functioning as a
single point of contact on the issue. "If we don't have it, we would
have to invent it," Tritak said.

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