At 8:01 PM 7/17/96, Dave Banisar wrote:
If y'all have heard, Clinton signed an executive order 2 days ago creating a new panel to examine how to "protect" "critical" computer systems. The panel will be made of of the usual suspects with a non-govt person ($5.00 says it will be someone from one of those wonderfully independant companies like SAIC, MITRETEC, EDS, E-Systems).
Needless to say, it looks an awful lot like NSDD-145 all over again with the panel recommending changes to the law to allo for greater coordination of LE, intell for govt computers and god knows what for non-govt computers.
Anyway, the directive is now up on our site at http://www.epic.org/security/infowar/eo_cip.html
Thanks. It's certainly beginning to look like "infowar" is the new funding/legislation fount....I suggest it be given honorary status as a "Horseman." Winn Schwartau is running conferences, is talking about the imminent danger of the nation's computer networks being knocked out (paraphrasing his latest "Wired" item: "imagine your ATM network being knocked out and people being unable to gain access to their money"). Schwartau is predicting/advocating a "fifth branch" of the military to deal with the this threat. A cyberforce, as it were. Color me skeptical, but I see this all as a lot of hype and fear-mongering. Folks in the Pentagon, FBI, and NSA probably see it as a way to get more funding, Folks in the consulting business probably see it as a way to crank up the seminar prices and increase the number and frequency of "Information Warfare" workshops and seminars. And the anti-terrorism folks will use it to tighten up. (Of course, tonight's explosion of the TWA 800 looks to be a bomb, from all indications...this _could_ be the "Oklahoma II" incident that will trigger more draconian surveillance legislation. Just a concern I have.) --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."