NCJ Number
190367
Date Published
July 2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This report discusses significant challenges in developing analysis, warning, and response capabilities.
Abstract
Robert F. Dacey, Director, Information Security Issues, in testimony before the Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, and Government Information, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, summarized the key findings in a report on the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC). The NIPC is part of the government's strategy to protect the national infrastructures from hostile attacks, especially computer-based attacks. The strategy was outlined in Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 63, issued in May 1998. The report noted that the NIPC had initiated a variety of critical infrastructure protection efforts that had laid a foundation for future governmentwide efforts, and had provided valuable support and coordination related to investigating and otherwise responding to attacks on computers. However, as of February 2001, the analytical and information-sharing capabilities that PDD 63 asserts are needed to protect the Nation's infrastructures had not yet been achieved, and the NIPC had developed only limited warning capabilities. The report claimed that an underlying contributor to the slow progress was that NIPC's roles and responsibilities had not been fully defined and were not consistently interpreted by other entities involved in the infrastructure protection strategy. Further, these entities had not provided to the NIPC the information and support, including detailees, that was envisioned by PDD 63. The report states that the NIPC had taken steps to address these challenges. In addition, the administration was reviewing the Federal critical infrastructure protection strategy, including the way the Federal Government is organized to manage this effort. Notes