Tenet calls for Internet security

[Guest guest]

http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

 

One of Bush's 9-11 trolls wants to eliminate one of the last vestiges

of democracy in the U.S.: Tenet calls for Internet security --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. " 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... He said known adversaries,

including " intelligence services, military organizations and non-state

actors, " [?!?] are researching information attacks against the United

States. Access to networks like the World Wide Web might need to be

limited to those who can show they take security seriously, he said.

[We need a political button that reads, 'I am a non-state actor.']

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20041201-114750-6381r.htm

 

Tenet calls for Internet security

 

 

By Shaun Waterman

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

 

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.