NCJ Number
189696
Date Published
May 1998
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This document is the Clinton Administration's policy directive to prevent terrorist attacks on the Nation's infrastructure.
Abstract
As advances in technology have increased, their infrastructures have become more interlinked, which has made them vulnerable to cyber attacks. President Clinton intends that the United States take all necessary measures to eliminate vulnerability to the infrastructure. Presidential Decision Directive 63 attempts to protect infrastructures from acts that would diminish the abilities of the Federal Government to perform national security missions; State and local governments to maintain order; and the private sector to deliver essential telecommunications, energy and other services. The Federal Government shall appoint a lead agency and officers to work with the private sector to develop a National Infrastructure Assurance Plan that will asses the Nation's vulnerabilities, recommend a plan to eliminate those vulnerabilities, propose a system to prevent attacks, and develop a plan for containing an act in progress. In addressing ways to eliminate vulnerabilities, the President wanted planners to keep in mind certain guidelines, such as frequent assessments on infrastructures' reliability and the harnessing of the latest technologies to achieve security. Every Federal department and agency shall be responsible for developing a plan to protect its own infrastructure. The plan should have a schedule for accomplishing tasks, such as a vulnerability analysis, education and awareness programs, and gathering intelligence. The national coordinator shall provide an annual report on the implementation of the directive. Annex A lists responsibilities of Federal agencies. The FBI shall run the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) that will be the lead threat assessment and response entity. The coordinator and other principal officers shall encourage the creation of the Information Sharing and Analysis Center that will serve as the mechanism for gathering, analyzing and disseminating private sector information to both industry and the NIPC. The coordinator also shall order studies on subjects such as liability issues and legal impediments to information sharing.