Terrorism task force looks at IT

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,4044489%255E15319,00.html

Karen Dearne
The Australian
02apr02

THE need to safeguard Australia's largely privately-owned critical IT
infrastructure has prompted the Federal Government to hold high-level
talks with business leaders.

Attorney-General Daryl Williams has formed a task force that met in
Sydney for two days last week to discuss ways of protecting vital
services from damage and disruption due to terrorism or natural
disasters.

The Prime Minister Mr Howard will receive a report on the talks, which
were attended by representatives from a wide cross-section of business
and government agencies responsible for essential public services.

This includes all information systems necessary to support banking and
finance services, telecommunications, transport, power and water
supplies.

"One complicating factor is that most of Australia's critical
infrastructure is privately owned. Maintenance and protection is
largely the responsibility of business," Mr Williams said.

"Under the National Anti-Terrorist Plan, the states and territories
are responsible for the protection of physical infrastructure, such as
roads, railway lines, sea and airports, as well as many of our
national icons such as the MCG and the Sydney Opera House."

Mr Williams said while the Federal Government had a co-ordinating role
on matters of national security, "it is equally clear that this
responsibility does not rest with the Federal Government alone".

Meanwhile, in the US, the Bush administration is establishing a
central office to coordinate the government's response to
cyber-attacks.

US agencies have long collaborated with private corporations on
security issues through the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection
Center (NIPC), formed in 1998 to monitor the nation's computer systems
controlling banking, water, power, telecommunications and government.

The NIPC is one of several agencies to be rolled into the new
information co-ordination centre, headed by President Bush's
cyberspace security adviser, Richard Clarke.

The new Homeland Security Advisory System is also well on track. It
aims to build an effective communications structure to disseminate
information on the risk of terrorist attack to all levels of
government.



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