Security
With the passing of the Year 2000 scare, security has emerged as more than
a buzzword.
Whether you work at a government agency forging electronic commerce
relationships with industry or at an Internet-based startup looking to
break into the government market, securing your information systems and
proprietary data and communications has become a prerequisite for being in
business and being "on the Net."
While most dire security predictions have focused on an "electronic Pearl
Harbor," where a coordinated cyberattack could catch the United States off
guard, a clearer picture is emerging that indicates security is not only
about these worst-case scenarios, but about a wide spectrum of threats.
For example, hacker attacks against popular e-commerce sites, including
credit card hijackings and denial of service attacks, showed just how
vulnerable the national information infrastructure is to relatively
unsophisticated methods of attack. Common security gaps that have existed
for years continue to plague our electronic infrastructure. The lesson that
should be learned from these incidents is that critical infrastructure
protection isn't just a government problem anymore.
But the government has a significant role to play in protecting cyberspace.
Cyberspace is, after all, the common thread that runs through the nation's
critical infrastructure, from the electric power grid to commercial air
traffic control to our military and waterways and railroads.
The president's National Plan for Information Systems Protection, released
in January, is a step in the right direction, but it is a long-term plan
for an immediate problem.
Many more hacker attacks will be launched, and while many will be foiled,
there likely will be just as many that cause serious problems for
e-commerce and e-government, uncovering the painful truth that the Internet
-- and all who are connected to it -- is only as secure as its weakest
link.
We invite you to visit us regularly at this special microsite to get the
latest news on government security and to track the progress of the federal
plan to build a government/industry partnership to deal with these threats.
This page will archive FCW's continuing coverage of the latest events that
may play a role in your agency's information systems security plan.
Daniel Verton
News editor
Federal Computer Week
