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----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: "Pacific Internet Users Group Mailing List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 2:47 PM Subject: [pignet] The Politics are starting > I found this in the Washington Post - Interesting? > By Shaun Waterman > UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL > Published December 2, 2004 > > Former CIA Director George J. Tenet yesterday called for new security > measures to guard against attacks on the United States that use the > Internet, which he called "a potential Achilles' heel." > "I know that these actions will be controversial in this age when we still > think the Internet is a free and open society with no control or > accountability," he told an information-technology security conference in > Washington, "but ultimately the Wild West must give way to governance and > control." > The former CIA director said telecommunications -- and specifically the > Internet -- are a back door through which terrorists and other enemies of > the United States could attack the country, even though great strides have > been made in securing the physical infrastructure. > The Internet "represents a potential Achilles' heel for our financial > stability and physical security if the networks we are creating are not > protected," Mr. Tenet said. > He said known adversaries, including "intelligence services, military > organizations and non-state actors," are researching information attacks > against the United States. > Within the federal government, the Department of Homeland Security has the > lead role in protecting the Internet from terrorism. But the department's > head of cyber-security recently quit amid reports that he had clashed with > his superiors. > Mr. Tenet, who retired in July as director of the CIA after seven years, > warned that al Qaeda remains a sophisticated group, even though its > first-tier leadership largely has been destroyed. > It is "undoubtedly mapping vulnerabilities and weaknesses in our > telecommunications networks," he said. > Mr. Tenet pointed out that the modernization of key industries in the > United States is making them more vulnerable by connecting them with an > Internet that is open to attack. > The way the Internet was built might be part of the problem, he said. Its > open architecture allows Web surfing, but that openness makes the system > vulnerable, Mr. Tenet said. > Access to networks like the World Wide Web might need to be limited to > those who can show they take security seriously, he said. > Mr. Tenet called for industry to lead the way by "establishing and > enforcing" security standards. Products need to be delivered to government > and private-sector customers "with a new level of security and risk > management already built in." > The national press, including United Press International (UPI), were > excluded from yesterday's event, at Mr. Tenet's request, organizers said. > > > > > Copyright � 2004 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. > Reagrds = Andrew > > *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* > To unsubscribe send a blank email to : > [email protected] > *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* > To be on this list you must be an ISOC member: > Register at www.isoc.org it is free. > Select the Pacific Islands Chapter. >
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