FBI Official Warns Banks on Computer Security

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.washtech.com/news/netarch/7976-1.html

By Dennis M. Blank,
Special to Government Computer News
Thursday, March 1, 2001; 6:01 PM

A successful hacker attack against the banking and financial system
could cripple the United States within three days, an FBI official
warned this week.

We cannot afford to let our dependence on automation become our
Achilles heel," said Alan B. Carroll, who supervises the analysis and
warning component at the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection
Center. Our challenge is to button up the holes in our critical
infrastructure, and believe me, there are holes."

Carroll was among the experts speaking to more than 1,000
investigators and information security system managers, including many
from civilian and Defense Department agencies, at the InfoSec World
Conference in Orlando, Fla.

The FBI and other agencies are working to improve computer security
for eight critical infrastructures: utilities, oil and gas,
telecommunications, transportation, banking and finance, water,
emergency services and government operations, Carroll said.

One of the most vulnerable areas is finance and banking because it is
difficult to determine where a cyberattack might originate, he said.

We have had many doors slammed in our faces by banks," Carroll said.
They said, Get out of here because we can do it ourselves."

But the financial industry is gradually realizing the benefits of
working with the FBI, he said.



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