FC: Academics, executives ask for anti-terror computer security $$$

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[It's amazing how so many people are willing to come to DC and claim
that spending more federal tax dollars (preferably on their pet
projects and/or businesses) will solve America's terrorism woes. --DBM]


http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,47479,00.html

   Fighting Evil Hackers With Bucks
   By Declan McCullagh (declan () wired com) and Ben Polen
   2:00 a.m. Oct. 11, 2001 PDT
   
   WASHINGTON -- Worried about the threat of terrorists-turned-hackers,
   members of a House panel spent Wednesday puzzling over how Congress
   could improve computer security.

   [...]
   
   Politicians may not know the difference between a byte and a nibble,
   but they are experts in spending money. And during the aftermath of
   the deadly Sept. 11 attacks, legislators seem willing to sign
   unusually fat checks.
   
   "No federal funding agency has assumed responsibility for supporting
   basic research in this area -- not DARPA, not the NSF, not the
   Department of Energy, not the NSA," complained William Wulf, a
   professor of engineering and applied science at the University of
   Virginia who testified at the hearing. [...]
   
   Wulf said that it wasn't a temporary budget increase that was
   necessary -- but a permanent one. "Don't think it's an issue of a lot
   of money but some type of guarantee of long-term money," he said.

   [...]



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