Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    National Security is an IT Concern

    By
    eWEEK EDITORS
    -
    July 1, 2002
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      This Fourth of July, vigilance—as well as patriotism—will be in the minds of many. This is appropriate. Given the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, we all should be on the lookout for ways to protect our country. But how can we spend our energies most effectively? Common sense leads us to believe that brute-force attacks on buildings of national significance might succeed only once.

      We can trust terrorists to covet other targets. What needs our attention now is the soft underbelly of our economy—the IT systems that store our collective digital memory, connect our scattered organizations and implement mission-critical processes.

      Digital data is the lifeblood of our economy. And if protected, bits can last a very long time. But once spilt, those unique 1s and 0s can never be recovered.

      We cant rely any longer on the comforting urban legend that the Internet is impervious to attack. The Internet is a massive collection of remotely accessible, often poorly maintained networks supported by software systems with little diversity and a history of serious security flaws.

      Fragile software is one major area of risk. The January 1990 systemwide meltdown of AT&Ts phone network, the August 1996 nine-state power grid failure and the April 1997 partial Internet collapse were all tremendously destructive accidents. What if these systems are skillfully targeted?

      Another concern is the vulnerability of the Internet to physical attack. While the Net is resilient to individual routes dropping off, a few well-placed attacks at major peering points, at cable choke points at bridges and tunnels, or on cross-country runs beside isolated rail lines would be very damaging. A chemical fire in Baltimores Howard Street tunnel disrupted area Internet traffic for days last July.

      Officials are not unaware: “Our enemies will use our technology against us, just as the hijackers used our planes,” said White House cyber-security chief Richard Clarke in a February speech. As technologists, we know about those problems better than anyone. Lets do our part to make sure that by next July 4, the IT systems our society depends upon are far better protected than they are now.

      Related Stories:

      • IT Pros Predict Major Cyber-Attack
      • Joining Forces for Homeland Security
      • Zeroing In on Homeland Security Plan
      eWEEK EDITORS
      eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×