White House appointment: Officer of Cyber-security

[Xeni Jardin]

Declan wrote:

> Just to be clear: The fellow is Richard Clarke. Roger Clarke is the
> Australian cryptographer/academic/engineer:
> http://www.politechbot.com/p-02621.html


Apologies for the error... wishful thinking on my part. In additions to
the background links on Richard Clark Declan posted, the office of the
Press Secretary's news release from this morning follows, FWIW--not much
new news there. BTW could someone on the Hill please wake up to the fact
that the adjective "cyber" is totally outre.

XJ

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011009.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 9, 2001

Fact Sheet
The National Director for Combating Terrorism & the Special Advisor to
the President for Cyberspace Security



   National Director & Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating
Terrorism
                 General Wayne Downing (U.S. Army Ret.)

Global  terrorism  poses  a  grave  danger  to the national security of
the United  States  and to the safety of all Americans at home and
abroad.  Our campaign   against   terrorism   must  include  military,
diplomatic,  law enforcement,   intelligence,   and   financial
operations   in   seamless coordination  with each other.  Many agencies
of the federal government are involved in this effort, and close
coordination among them is imperative to develop  and  execute a
strategy that draws on and integrates all available resources.

To  achieve  this policy, the President has established the position of
the National  Director  and  Deputy  National  Security  Advisor  for
Combating Terrorism.  The National Director will be the President's
principal advisor on  matters  related  to  combating global terrorism,
including all efforts designed to detect, disrupt, and destroy global
terrorist organizations and those who support them.

The  National  Director  will  report to the Assistant to the President
for National  Security  Affairs.  The National Director will also report
to the Assistant  to  the  President for Homeland Security with respect
to matters relating to global terrorism inside the United States.

         Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security

                              Richard Clarke

The  information  technology  revolution  has  changed  the way business
is transacted,  government  operates,  and national defense is
conducted.  The United  States  now  depends  upon  a  complex,
interdependent  network of critical  infrastructure  information
systems  that  are  essential to our national and economic security.
These networks include information systems in the government,
telecommunications, banking and finance, transportation, energy,
manufacturing, water, health and emergency services networks.

The  United  States must protect against the disruption of the operation
of these  systems.   Any disruption that occurs must be infrequent, of
minimal duration, manageable, and cause the least possible damage.

The  President's  Special  Advisor  for Cyberspace Security will
coordinate interagency  efforts  to  secure  information  systems.   In
the event of a disruption, the Special Advisor will coordinate efforts
to restore critical systems.

The  Special  Advisor  will work in close coordination and partnership
with the  private sector, which owns and operates the vast majority of
America's critical  infrastructure.   The  Special  Advisor  will  be
the President's principal  advisor  on matters related to cyberspace
security and report to the  Assistant  to the President for Homeland
Security and to the Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs.

The  Special Advisor will also serve as chairman of a government-wide
board that  will  coordinate  the protection of critical information
systems (the President  is  expected  to  sign  an Executive Order soon
establishing the board).