White House cyberdefense strategy due out on Wednesday

Computerworld - The Bush administration on Wednesday plans to detail its strategy to defend the nation's critical networks and infrastructures from crippling cyberattacks, something experts predict could reach an all-time high should the U.S. go to war with Iraq.

The release of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace will put the Bush administration's imprint on a process first begun by the Clinton administration to enhance cybersecurity throughout critical infrastructures such as the nation's telecommunications grid and the banking and energy industries.

A draft of the strategy's recommendations, dated Sept. 5 and obtained this week by Computerworld from a White House source, calls for a five-pronged approach toward building a national public/private partnership to guard against cyberattacks. In addition to focusing on large enterprises -- which include the private companies that own and operate 90% of the nation's critical infrastructures and the government agencies responsible for critical government services -- the plan also focuses on home users and small businesses, national issues in research and development and education, and global cooperation.

Because the briefing document was dated Sept. 5, the final strategy to be released this week could incorporate changes made since then.

The strategy "supplements both the Homeland Security Strategy and the National Security Strategy and is designed to empower all Americans to secure their portions of cyberspace," according to the draft briefing document. "Cyber attacks on U.S. information networks occur regularly and can have serious consequences, disrupting critical operations, causing loss of revenue and intellectual property, or loss of life. We must ensure that any disruptions of cyberspace are infrequent, of minimal duration, are manageable, and cause the least amount of damage."

That may be a tall order, given both the voluntary nature of the private sector's participation and the increasing likelihood of war with Iraq. Some experts fear that such a war could ignite an unprecedented level of cyberattack activity aimed at both U.S. government and corporate networks.

Peter Tippett, chief technologist at TruSecure Corp., said war with Iraq would almost certainly result in an increase in cyberattacks targeting the U.S.

"Every time there's been a conflict, there's been an increase in so-called cyberwars. I'm sure there will be more activity against us," Tippett said, adding that his recent discussions with security experts in Europe indicate that many are nervous about the potential for mass cyberprotests.

"People are feeling incredibly leery about the U.S. going to war with Iraq. The fallout might not just be from the Arab community," said Tippett. The potential for hacktivism is extremely high, he said, noting that his company currently tracks 3,000 hackers in 800 hacker groups who often become "mercenaries with a new cause" whenever an international incident occurs.