The United States Senate

Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem

Senator Robert F. Bennett, Chairman

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Vice-Chairman

Y2K Aftermath – Crisis Averted

Final Committee Report

Summary of Committee Findings

FEBRUARY 29, 2000
MEMBERS

Robert F. Bennett, UT, Chairman

Christopher J. Dodd, CT, Vice-Chairman

Jon Kyl, AZ Daniel Patrick Moynihan, NY

Gordon Smith, OR John Edwards, NC

Richard G. Lugar, IN Robert C. Byrd, WV, Ex Officio

Ted Stevens, AK, Ex Officio

STAFF

Robert Cresanti , Staff Director

T.M. (Wilke) Green, Minority Staff Director

John B. Stephenson, Deputy Staff Director

Thomas J. Bello, Professional Staff

Tania L. Calhoun, Committee Counsel

James P. Dailey, Professional Staff

Paul Hunter, Professional Staff

Unice Lieberman, Minority Press Secretary

Sara Jane MacKay, Legislative Correspondent

Don Meyer, Press Secretary

J. Paul Nicholas, Professional Staff

Frank Reilly, Professional Staff

Noelle Busk Ringel, Archivist

Amber Sechrist, Clerk

Ronald L. Spear, Professional Staff

Deborah Steward, GPO Representative
The United States Senate

Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem

Senator Robert F. Bennett, Chairman

Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Vice-Chairman

Y2K Aftermath – Crisis Averted

Final Committee Report

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE FINDING

FEBRUARY 29, 2000

S. Prt. 106-XX
February 29, 2000

Dear Colleague:

Having fulfilled its oversight and fact-finding mission following the world’s successful navigation of the millennium date change, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem will disband on February 29, 2000,

in accordance with its charter.

Today, we issue the Committee’s final report. This report provides the best information available on the occurrence of Y2K glitches in the United States and

abroad. While problems will continue to appear throughout the year, most

documented domestic Y2K-related events have thus far been minor, localized,

and short-lived. Internationally, there have been fewer problems than predicted.

The report also discusses lessons learned and benefits derived from Y2K. Minor

consequences aside, Y2K has spurred the modernization of our nation’s technology base and positioned it for continued economic growth. In addition, the Y2K

readiness experience has taught us valuable lessons about the nation’s technological dependencies, interconnections, and vulnerabilities. These lessons will

prove invaluable as Congress examines new policies addressing critical infrastructure protection and future information technology issues.

Robert F. Bennett Christopher J. Dodd

Chairman Vice Chairman

{NOTE: FORMAL RELEASE INCLUDES THE SIGNATURES OF ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS}

 
SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE YEAR 2000 TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM 1

TABLE of CONTENTS

Page

Overview 3

The Results of Y2K 7

Day One Preparation/Performance 7

Summary of Y2K Problems 9

The Costs of Y2K 11

Is the Crisis Over? Prognosis for the Months Ahead 12

The Committee’s Contributions 13

Lessons Learned/Benefits Derived from Y2K 17

Modernized Technology Base and Management Efficiency 17

Better Communication Networks and Public/Private Partnerships 18

Greater Awareness of IT Dependencies & Security Risks 20

What’s Next/How Do We Capitalize on Y2K? 23

Maintain/Enhance Y2K Networks and Public/Private Partnerships 23

Leverage Y2K Lessons to Improve Infrastructure Protection 24

Congressional Role in Infrastructure Protection 25

APPENDICES

Appendix I – Committee Enabling Legislation 27

Appendix II – Summary of Y2K Glitches by Sector 37

Appendix III – Committee Hearings 51
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OVERVIEW

Since its April 1998 inception, the

U.S. Senate Special Committee on

the Year 2000 Technology (Y2K)

Problem has pursued the following

goals: (1) to study the Y2K problem’s

potential impact on all levels of government and the private sector—

both in the U.S. and abroad; (2) to

make findings of fact and serve as a

repository for accurate Y2K information; (3) to increase awareness about

the Y2K problem; and (4) to make

recommendations regarding new

legislation and existing laws to incentivize Y2K preparation. Having

fulfilled these objectives, the Committee will disband on February 29,

1999, in accordance with its charter.

The Committee’s final report is comprised of three sections. The first

describes how well the nation and

the world transitioned to the Year

2000, including examples of reported

computer problems. The second

section describes lessons learned

and benefits derived from Y2K. Finally, the third section examines how

these benefits and lessons might be

used to better address future information technology (IT) challenges.

Hundreds of computer problems

have been reported since January 1,

2000, but most have been quickly

corrected and none have caused serious disruptions. While Appendix II

of this report includes examples of

computer problems that have occurred since the date change, the full

extent of Y2K problems will probably

never be known. There is no incentive for corporations or countries to

publicly report problems. Instead,

they will simply fix these problems

and continue their operations.

The U.S. spent an estimated $100

billion ($8.5 billion within the federal

government alone) on the Y2K

problem, and the positive results

domestically were not unexpected.

Several factors contributed to a relatively uneventful Y2K rollover. In

addition to the unprecedented level

of effort undertaken by most organizations, the sharing of information,

focus on supplier interrelationships,

and attention to contingency planning all contributed to a smooth transition. Committee hearings and work

in late 1999 also revealed a significantly lower failure rate than predicted for embedded chips.

It is the Committee’s judgment that

the level of effort was justified and

the expenditure of funds was indeed

necessary. Testimony and available

research during 1998 and early 1999

convinced the Committee that the

Y2K threat was very real, and that

the risks and consequences of inaction were too dire to justify a lesser

effort. Even considering the enormous amount of time and money

spent on Y2K, the level of success is

still remarkable considering that the

U.S.—with one-fourth of the world’s

computer assets—is the most technologically dependent nation on

earth.
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While the positive results of domestic

Y2K preparation were not unexpected, the low level of disruption

internationally was somewhat surprising. Several factors may have

contributed to inaccurate predictions

and better-than-expected results

abroad. Among these were (1) the

difficulty in obtaining accurate and

current information about the technology dependencies and Y2K preparedness levels of other countries;

(2) the underestimation of the

amount of remediation that actually

occurred in the last two months of

1999; (3) the underestimation of the

economic influence of multinational

corporations on the preparedness of

their host countries; and (4) the fact

that contingency plans for countries

behind in Y2K remediation worked

better than expected.

In addition, in many cases, infrastructure entities and companies

switched to manual operations

and/or had additional personnel on

standby during the rollover. This action allowed problems to be quickly

addressed and, as a result, prevented more failures from occurring.

Not all Y2K problems, however, were

expected to occur and be resolved in

the first few weeks or months following January 1, 2000. In addition

to vulnerabilities surrounding February 29, several problems may yet

occur as quarterly and annual business cycles continue. The Committee expects continued reports of minor nuisances throughout 2000, but

no major problems.

Also during 2000 and beyond, government and private sector organizations must undertake permanent

software fixes where temporary

patches were utilized. Organizations

may need to address non-mission

critical systems where repairs were

postponed. Internationally, most

fixes were temporary clock rollbacks

that must be fixed permanently at

some point.

In addition to avoiding major Y2K

problems, enduring lessons have

been learned and benefits derived

from the remediation experience.

Most significantly, the IT infrastructure and mechanisms for more effectively managing it have been

modernized. Also, Y2K has caused

a heightened level of knowledge

among executive-level managers as

to the importance and vulnerabilities

of information technology. Critical

infrastructure protection and other IT

issues now rank higher among the

mission priorities of corporate and

government executives. Finally, new

public/private partnerships and more

effective avenues of communication—domestically and internationally—have been created that will be

beneficial in addressing future IT

challenges.

The Committee believes that improving critical infrastructure protection will be the next major challenge

to the IT community. Hacking, cyber

theft/terrorism and information warfare have the potential to negatively

impact e-commerce and impede

overall economic growth.
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“THERE ARE MANY

INDIVIDUALS WHO

DESERVE A GREAT

DEAL OF CREDIT FOR

THE Y2K SUCCESS

STORY—PAT

MOYNIHAN, ALAN

GREENSPAN, JOHN

KOSKINEN, ARTHUR

LEVITT, AND

STEPHEN HORN—

JUST TO NAME A

FEW”

-- SENATOR

BENNETT

Funding for national infrastructure

protection is currently spread over 15

agencies overseen by nine congressional committees. This presents

numerous challenges to effective

congressional oversight and policy

initiatives. The Senate must examine the congressional structure and

its efficacy for addressing critical infrastructure protection and future IT

issues.

* * * *

Many thousands of people

deserve credit for the Y2K

success story. A few

deserve special recognition.

In 1996, Senator Daniel

Patrick Moynihan

commissioned a Congressional Research Study of

Y2K’s potential impact. He

also contacted President

Clinton to urge the

appointment of a

presidential aide to direct

federal Y2K efforts.

Federal Reserve Chairman

Alan Greenspan offered valuable assessments with regard to Y2K and

its potential impact on investors and

the U.S. economy. His assessments

warded off potentially destructive

Y2K-related behavior such as inventory stockpiling and divestment in

U.S. markets. He also drew attention to the high level of preparedness

in private industry and in U.S. markets, helping to avoid a Y2K-induced

economic downturn.

The President’s Council on Year

2000 Conversion, chaired by Special

Assistant to the President John Koskinen, performed a valuable service

to the nation by working to guarantee

the functioning of vital public services. Mr. Koskinen effectively formed

coalitions between the public and

private sectors, and initiated and

monitored Y2K preparation among

federal, state, and local governments, as well as different infrastructure sectors and industries. He

also kept Congress and

the public informed with

regard to progress.

SEC Chairman Arthur

Levitt was influential in

fostering cooperation

among private industry

and the financial services

sector. In response to

Senator Bennett’s

introduction of S.1518, the

SEC clarified federal

securities disclosure law

to remind municipal

securities issuers, public

companies, investment

advisers, and investment

companies that anti-fraud provisions

included Y2K disclosure. The SEC

also took action against brokerdealers who failed to report Year

2000 readiness, and issued a report

on the Y2K preparedness of publicly

traded companies.

Congressman Stephen Horn, Chairman of the Government Reform

Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, led oversight efforts in the U.S.

House of Representatives regard-
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ing federal government preparedness. Through numerous hearings

and quarterly report cards on federal

preparedness, Congressman Horn

exercised effective oversight of federal agencies.
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THE RESULTS OF Y2K

This section assesses the effectiveness of the Y2K Information Coordination Center (ICC) and other “Day

One” activities. It also includes a

summary of Y2K problems comprised of the best information available in the U.S. and abroad. While

problems will continue to appear

throughout the year, documented

Y2K-related events in the U.S. have

so far been minor, localized, and

short-lived. Internationally, there

have been fewer problems than predicted.

DAY ONE PREPARATION/

PERFORMANCE

“Day One Preparation” refers to the

operational plans devised at all levels of government and many private

organizations to manage the January

1, 2000 date-change transition. Day

One Preparation efforts represented

the largest simultaneous mobilization

of resources in anticipation of a potential disaster or emergency. Governmental Day One Preparation included the ICC’s establishment of a

broad communications and reporting

network, and the staffing of emergency operations centers by the

Federal Emergency Management

Administration (FEMA) and emergency management agencies at municipal, county, and state levels.

In private industry, Day One Preparation typically involved increased

staffing of business and industry locations to both monitor and test key

systems as the date roll-over occurred, and to provide immediate onpremise technical assistance in the

event of failures. In many cases,

trade associations established command centers to gather information

about the status of critical infrastructures within a specific industry.

The ICC’s structure linked the Day

One Preparation activities of the federal government and those of private

industry. In essence, the same

mechanism established by the

President’s Council to track progress

on Y2K preparedness throughout

1998 and 1999 served as the backbone of a Day One Preparation plan

that was international in scope. Industry sector working groups already

established by the President’s Council provided the foundation for largescale Day One Preparation plans for

the ICC. (The structure and organization of the President’s Council and

the ICC were discussed in detail in

the Committee’s first two reports.)

Several days prior to and after the

date transition, Committee staff

manned an operational desk at the

ICC and utilized the Information

Collection and Reporting System

(ICRS), the ICC’s primary data collection system. The ICRS allowed

the user to review the status of each

sector, including government services, finance, transportation, power

and water utilities, telecommunications, health care, and business. An

“exception-based” three-tiered reporting system was used whereby
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contributors reported incidents having a potential impact on the presumed “green” or normal operating

status of their sectors.

Incidents bearing any significant impact on any sector would have resulted in a change of rating from

“green” to “yellow” (cautionary) or

“red” (indicating significant disruption). John Koskinen, Chair of the

President’s Council, provided regular

press briefings on reported incidents

from the ICC throughout the week

prior to and following the datechange transition. Transcripts of

these briefings are available on the

President’s Council’s/ICC web page

at www.y2k.gov.

ICC staffing consisted of a central

administrative staff, representatives

of the various executive branch

agencies, and contractors who provided data systems support. The

President’s Council estimated that

approximately 175 to 200 people

staffed the ICC.

Despite the late start in organizing

the ICC, and despite problems experienced during the December 1999

ICRS system exercise phase, the

ICC appears to have successfully

accomplished its mission related to

Day One Preparation. Several

strong points in the ICC’s operations

are worthy of note. Although it was

expressly not intended to serve as a

decision-making body, on-site staffing of the ICC included many highranking officials from the various

federal agencies. This would have

been of great benefit had any major

crisis developed as a result of the

date-change transition. The immediate on-site presence of “commandlevel” officials could have served to

streamline communications efforts if

a national crisis had occurred. The

ICC’s effective degree of coordination among decision-makers from a

broad variety of both public and private agencies was a significant accomplishment. Unlike law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies, other entities providing information to the ICC were not operationally oriented and did not typically

provide “real time” incident reporting.

While the need to establish a reporting network that could feed information into the ICC presented a

unique challenge to some agencies,

this function was effectively performed.

Y2K was the first instance during

which emergency managers in all 50

states and the U.S. territories were

simultaneously operational and in

direct communication with FEMA in

anticipation of a single-source disaster or hazard.

FEMA’s Y2K preparedness activities

had a broad impact on Day One

Preparation efforts at all levels of

government, and on individual preparedness. FEMA used approximately 800 employees during the

rollover, with personnel assigned to

its Emergency Support Team at

headquarters, the Mount Weather

Emergency Assistance Center,

FEMA’s ten regional operational offices, its regional operations centers,

state liaisons, and the ICC.

Many benefits were realized as a re-
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sult of Day One Preparedness activities in the emergency management

community:

• Existing emergency management

systems were tested and

stressed in response to a unique

hazard;

• Increased attention was given to

emergency preparedness at the

individual and organizational levels;

• Disaster plans were revised and

updated in many local communities and states;

• Relationships between various

Federal Response Plan (FRP)

agencies were strengthened;

• The value of the FRP to a broad

range of potential disasters was

reinforced;

• The application of the ICC’s infrastructure failure reporting system is being evaluated by FEMA

and the individual states; and

• Emergency services improved

their abilities to function if affected by major emergencies or

disasters.

The importance of Day One Preparedness was reinforced in the months

approaching the date transition as

law enforcement and intelligence

concerns grew about the potential for

Y2K/millennium-focused violence by

domestic extremists and foreign terrorists. Had any large-scale events

occurred, the communications networks initiated by organizations as

part of Y2K Day One Preparations,

and the pre-activation of emergency

operations centers across the nation,

would have dramatically increased

the nation’s ability to respond.

SUMMARY OF Y2K

PROBLEMS

While hundreds of computer problems have been reported since

January 1, 2000, most have been

quickly corrected and none have

caused serious disruptions. Because there is no incentive for corporations or countries to openly report

problems, the full extent of Y2K’s

impact may never be known. Indeed, it is interesting to note that official government reports from

around the world report far fewer incidents than reported by news services. For example, 32 countries including Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, and Norway

reported no incidents on the official

International Y2K Cooperation Center’s website despite the fact that

many incidents were reported in

these countries by reliable news

services.

Examples of domestic problems

have included Medicare payment

delays, double-billing by some credit

card companies, degradation of a

spy satellite system, 911 problems in

several localities, and a nuclear

weapons plant system anomaly. International events included nonsafety-related problems at a nuclear

power plant, a Hong Kong Futures

Exchange outage, and a variety of

biomedical device glitches. Despite
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these incidents, no major problems

were experienced in the U.S. or

worldwide during the millennium date

change. Additional examples of reported computer problems are included in Appendix II. While the

Committee was unable to verify

these reports first-hand, the Appendix includes only those reports from

sources considered reliable.

The U.S. spent an estimated $100

billion ($8.5 billion within the federal

government alone) on the Y2K

problem, and the positive results

domestically were not unexpected.

Several factors contributed to a relatively uneventful Y2K rollover. In

addition to the unprecedented level

of effort undertaken by most public

and private organizations, information sharing, a focus on supplier interrelationships, and attention to

contingency planning all contributed

to a smooth transition.

Committee hearings also revealed a

significantly lower failure rate than

predicted for embedded chips.

Analysis of testing during the last

quarter of 1999 predicted an embedded chip failure rate of .001%, rather

than the 2-3% failure rate projected

in late 1998 and early 1999.

In the Committee’s judgment, the

level of effort was justified, and the

expenditures of the public and private sectors were indeed necessary.

Testimony and available research

during 1998 and early 1999 convinced the Committee that the Y2K

threat was real, and that the risks

and consequences of inaction were

too dire to justify a lesser effort. Despite the expense, the success of

domestic Y2K preparation is remarkable, considering that the U.S.—with

one-fourth of the world’s computer

assets—is the most technologically

dependent nation on earth.

While the positive results of domestic

Y2K preparation were not unexpected, the low level of disruption

internationally was somewhat surprising. The following factors may

have contributed to inaccurate predictions.

First, despite the efforts of the United

Nations, World Bank, the International Y2K Cooperation Center and

others, it was difficult to obtain accurate and current information about

the technological dependencies and

Y2K preparedness of other countries. The Y2K experience revealed

that little is known about the level of

automation in other countries’ infrastructures, such as electric power or

telecommunications.

Second, the amount of remediation

occurring in the last two months of

1999 may have been underestimated. Countries that delayed Y2K

remediation greatly benefited from

the lessons learned by countries

leading the world in Y2K compliance,

allowing laggard countries to make

Y2K repairs more quickly and efficiently than previously thought possible. In addition, many countries

and organizations simply rolled back

computer clocks, which allows the

temporary claim of compliance but

fails to address long-term date dependency problems.
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Y2K Emergency Supplemental Funds

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

$400,000

$450,000

$500,000

$550,000

$600,000

$650,000

$700,000

Agency/Bureau

(Thousands of Dollars)

Agriculture

Commerce

Health and Human Services

Interior

Justice

State

Transportation

Treasury

General Services Administration

District of Columbia

Third, the economic influence of

multinational corporations was underestimated. Global corporations

aggressively addressed the Y2K

problem at international facilities,

and had a profound influence on the

preparedness of host countries and

their attendant infrastructures.

Fourth, many countries began addressing theY2K problem so late that

contingency planning was their only

option. In many cases, infrastructure

entities and companies switched to

manual operations and/or had additional personnel on standby during

the rollover. This allowed problems

to be quickly addressed and may

have prevented more failures from

occurring.

THE COSTS OF Y2K

Preparations to avoid and/or mitigate

Y2K-related problems proved to be

one of the most complex and vast

management challenges in recent

history. From roughly 1995-1999,

private and public organizations,

both domestically and internationally,

mobilized huge resources to address

Y2K. Although no universal costestimating processes were agreed

upon, many organizations estimated

cost of Y2K in terms of lines of code

to be assessed, remediated, and

tested. One dollar per line of code

was one widely-used cost estimate,

but the worldwide cost of preparing

for Y2K may never be known.

However, the Office of Management

and Budget estimated that federal

government Y2K spending reached

$8.34 billion; the Commerce Department estimated that U.S. government and businesses spent about

$100 billion; and a journalist for

Newsweek estimated global Y2K
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spending at $500 billion.1

Congress appropriated $3.35 billion

in Y2K emergency supplemental

funding: $1.1 billion for the DOD and

$2.25 billion for non-defense departments and agencies. Of the nondefense emergency supplemental

spending, the top 10 agencies/departments receiving funds are

depicted in the chart above.

Most analysts agree that Y2K

spending was higher per capita in

the U.S. than in other industrialized

countries such as Italy, Spain, and

Russia.2

 Many argue, however, that

the U.S. is far more computerized

than those countries. U.S. systems

are also more interconnected and

complex than in most other countries, leading to a higher cost for Y2K

remediation here at home.

Finally, countries that started Y2K

remediation later than the U.S. had

the benefit of U.S.-developed diagnostic software tools, experience,

and access to public information

about the compliance process.

 

1

In addition, the Gartner Group estimated that the

U.S. spent $150-$225 billion. International Data

Corporation’s Project Magellan estimated costs

at $320 billion worldwide, $134 billion of which

was spent by the U.S.

2

 Some analysts also believe that other industrialized countries, such as the United Kingdom,

Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands, spent

equivalent amounts per capita to the U.S.

IS THE CRISIS OVER? PROGNOSIS

FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD

Not all Y2K problems were expected

to occur and be resolved in the first

few weeks or months following

January 1, 2000. In addition to vulnerabilities surrounding February 29,

several problems may yet occur as

quarterly and annual business cycles

continue. The Gartner Group estimated that peak Y2K problem periods would be in mid-2000, with some

problems lingering into 2003. The

Committee also expects continued

reports of minor nuisances throughout 2000, but no major problems.

Pre- and post-Y2K analysis has included hypotheses regarding the

potential for future Y2K problems.

Future date-related problems have

been predicted for computer systems

that may not recognize 2000 as a

leap year. Another potential problem

has been predicted for 2038, when

timers in some UNIX operating systems roll over much like the GPS

systems clocks did in August 1999.

The Committee's investigation concludes that, given the evolution of

the Y2K scenario since December

31, 1999, there will be few lingering

and long-term effects from Y2K. Organizations working on the problem

were generally well aware of potential glitches associated with the leap

year, and were actively preparing for

February 29, 2000. The U.S. Navy,

for example, demonstrated to Committee staff a successful rollover drill

during naval battle group operations

in 1999.
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PROJECTED Y2K FAILURE TIMEFRAMES

Source: Gartner Group

 Worldwide

System Failures

Pre 1998 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

 Only a Portion of IT

 System Failures Will

 Occur at the Millennium

 Rollover

Embedded Systems

 Spike

The year 2038 is not expected to

cause pervasive problems. The Y2K

problem was generated by a widely

used programming practice, whereas

other problem dates are associated

with limitations of software systems.

Also, the sensationalism associated

with Y2K heightened awareness of

these other dates, so it is much less

likely that future IT personnel will be

surprised by date-related problems.

Software that was remediated with a

windowing approach or another

similar technique utilizing two digits

for representing a year may encounter problems with the approach

of the "pivot year.” A second problem may occur with systems that exchange year information in two-digit

date formats but do not use the

same pivot year. In addition, it is

possible that remediated software

will exhibit new problems. It is often

the case that fixing one section of

software causes new problems to

occur (by introducing new defects

elsewhere in the system).

In addition, during 2000 and beyond,

government and private sector organizations must undertake permanent software fixes where temporary

patches were utilized. Organizations

may need to address non-mission

critical systems where repairs were

postponed. Internationally, most

fixes were temporary clock rollbacks

that ultimately must be fixed permanently.

The Committee thinks the most likely

scenario will be problems with software that was not remediated at all

for Y2K. These problems may show

up in erroneous reports that are run

at fixed times in the business cycle.

THE COMMITTEE’S

CONTRIBUTIONS

Through tremendous efforts of the

public and private sectors, the U.S.

made a successful transition into the

Year 2000. These efforts were propelled, in part, by a constant level of

congressional attention to every
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aspect of the Y2K problem. This

section summarizes the Committee’s

contributions to the nation’s successful Y2K preparation effort.3

The Committee’s mandate was to

study the impact of the Y2K problem

on the federal and state governments and the private sector, and to

make appropriate findings of fact and

recommendations to the Congress.4

The Committee fulfilled this mandate

by becoming a repository of information about the Y2K problem in order

to focus public attention on the issue

and spur action in the public and private sectors. The Committee accomplished this goal through the use

of hearings, letters, regular interaction with public and private entities,

reports, and legislative recommendations.

The Committee conducted 35 hearings on a wide array of Y2K issues

(see Appendix III). Each hearing

was designed to draw attention to a

particular aspect of the Y2K problem;

build general knowledge with regard

to particular economic sectors; and

elicit action to ensure a smooth transition into the Year 2000. Each

hearing also served the critical func-

 

3

 The Committee acknowledges the contributions

made by numerous other Senate and House

committees. The Committee also thanks the

General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of the Congress, for the valuable assistance it provided in the form of reports, testimony,

and other studies.

4

 S. Res. 208 (105th Cong., 2nd Sess.): To establish a special committee of the Senate to address

the year 2000 technology problem, as amended

by S. Res. 7 (106th Cong., 1st Sess.). The text of

both resolutions can be found at Appendix II.

tion of educating the public about the

nature and scope of the Y2K problem, and the ongoing progress of

each sector. These numerous

hearings kept pressure on the public

and private sectors to remediate

systems and to develop and implement contingency plans ensuring a

successful Y2K event.

The Committee wrote hundreds of

letters to various public and private

entities to elicit information about

Y2K preparedness and to encourage

action. The letters also put these

entities on notice that the Congress

was exercising oversight with regard

to Y2K. In the private sector, such

letters helped shift the focus on Y2K

from technical personnel to top management. This transition of responsibility was a crucial factor behind

the success of the Y2K rollover.

(Many of these letters were reproduced in Appendix II of the Committee’s second report, “Investigating

the Year 2000 Problem: The 100 Day

Report.”)

A crucial method of fact-finding was

the Committee’s regular interaction

with representatives of the major

federal agencies and critical private

sector entities. This contact allowed

the Committee to assess Y2K progress in all sectors, encourage the

free flow of information, and maintain

awareness of ongoing congressional

oversight.

The Committee issued its first report,

“Investigating the Impact of the Year

2000 Problem,” in February 1999.”

5

 

5

 S. Prt. 106-10, Feb. 24, 1999.
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That report was the federal government’s first comprehensive analysis

of the nature and scope of the Y2K

problem and the status of domestic

preparations. The Committee issued

its second report, “Investigating the

Year 2000 Problem: The 100 Day

Report,”

6

 in September 1999. In addition to updating the first report, it

contained an extensive analysis of

international Y2K readiness. Both

reports provided the public with a resource for understanding the problem and assessing its potential impact on the lives of American citizens

and industries.

While the Committee was not

granted legislative authority, it was

tasked to provide legislative recommendations to the Congress, which it

did on two occasions.

First, Senator Bennett introduced the

Senate bill that would eventually result in the “Year 2000 Information

and Readiness Disclosure Act,” Pub.

L. No. 105-271 (Oct. 19, 1998). This

Act encouraged the disclosure and

exchange of information about the

Y2K problem by limiting the liability

of companies that provided goodfaith Y2K disclosures.

Second, Senator Dodd was instrumental in the passage of the “Y2K

Act,” Pub. L. No. 106-31 (July 20,

1999). This Act was intended to discourage the filing of frivolous lawsuits and to encourage parties to resolve Y2K problems prior to, and/or

instead of, pursuing litigation.

 

6

 S. Prt. 106-31, Sept. 22, 1999.

Another vital aspect of the Committee’s role was its bipartisan, cooperative approach toward a successful Y2K rollover. The committee and

its members worked closely with

House committees and with the

President’s Council on Year 2000

Conversion, as well as the federal

agencies, private sector and international partners. The creation of successful public/private partnerships

may serve as a model in the development of a national policy toward

protecting American high-tech infrastructure.
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LESSONS LEARNED/BENEFITS DERIVED FROM Y2K

Enduring lessons have been learned

and benefits derived as a result of

Y2K. There now exists a more thorough understanding of IT-related

challenges, including effective quantification of IT problems and their

probable impact. There is also a

higher awareness of the integral role

IT plays in business functions, and

the effort involved to effectively

manage ephemeral information and

high-tech organizational assets.

As a result of Y2K, IT foundations

and management mechanisms have

been modernized. Critical infrastructure protection and other IT issues now rank higher among the

mission priorities of corporate and

government executives. In addition,

new public/private partnerships and

more effective avenues of communication—both domestically and internationally–have been created that

will be beneficial in addressing future

IT challenges.

MODERNIZED TECHNOLOGY

BASE AND MANAGEMENT

EFFICIENCY

The attention of executive-level personnel at vital stages of Y2K prioritizing, planning, and remediation has

resulted in higher levels of accountability and reliability in IT management. For the first time—and at a

critical juncture in the development

of an IT-driven economy—private

firms and public organizations have

been forced to look critically at the

role of IT assets and to manage

them as mission-critical resources.

Information systems, via strategic

management, have graduated to the

boardroom.

While many analysts predicted that

Y2k preparation would sap budgets

and productivity in 1998-1999, a

large percentage of Y2K spending

was earmarked in existing IT budgets and productivity continued to increase. The Department of Commerce stated in November 1999 that

“[s]ome of the Y2K spending may

involve ‘shifting forward’ new, productive, software and hardware investments which would have occurred eventually, offsetting to some

extent the drag on productivity.”

7

Given the cost overruns and delays

that typically plague IT projects, it is

significant that IT departments were

forced to adopt strict timelines and

strategies for simultaneously fixing

multiple systems. The Y2K preparation process added discipline to IT

management, and mandated a more

holistic approach to solving problems

in internal and external systems.

A central management decision that

emerged during Y2K remediation

was whether to modernize or scrap

legacy systems. As a result, organi-

 

7 “The Economics of Y2K and the Impact on the

United States,” U.S. Department of Commerce,

Economics and Statistics Administration, Nov.

17, 1999, at vii.
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zations such as the U.S. Postal

Service have completely renovated

information infrastructures.

Many organizations constrained to

updating legacy systems have—at

the very least—created system

documentation for the first time, a

step that will aid future IT problemsolving.

According to Committee testimony,

many private firms and public agencies discovered during Y2K preparation that IT inventory was inaccurate

or absent. Through a process of

auditing, organizations learned that

they were more vulnerable to problems in IT than previously believed.

BETTER COMMUNICATION

NETWORKS AND

PUBLIC/PRIVATE

PARTNERSHIPS

The Y2K problem existed on such

short timelines that a federal topdown regulatory approach was not

practical, except within the existing

framework of highly regulated industries. The financial sector was one

such regulatory environment, while

small chemical producers were not.

Further, the constantly evolving

status of compliance meant that

most compliance information was

out-of-date the moment it was published.

The challenge was to create networks of individuals, industries, and

organizations to share information,

and a legal environment where information could be readily shared.

The Year 2000 Information and

Readiness Disclosure Act provided

relief from some antitrust concerns of

intra-industry information sharing.

The Y2K Act provided an additional

incentive for vendor-initiated “due

diligence” and corporate cooperation.

Trade associations were instrumental in the establishment of industry

Y2K practice standards and in communicating results of compliance efforts. Such monitoring of the

changing compliance environment

created an incentive for organizations to avoid being the last across

the finish line.

The use of the Internet was also a

significant change in managing a

potential national and global crisis.

Nearly every business with a presence on the web had a link to a

statement regarding Y2K compliance. Other web sites, such as that

provided by the Food and Drug Administration, listed medical devices

and linked to company compliance

information.

Industry groups, associations of public managers, and trade organizations all established web sites that

explained how a particular industry

was Y2K ready, or how members

could become Y2K compliant. As

one computer industry spokesman

noted, “both companies and countries coming late to Y2K were able to

gain enormous efficiencies from the

shared experience of others. These

efficiencies expressed themselves in

saved work, fewer mistakes and

false starts, more productive pro-
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cesses, a better understanding of

available tools and supports, compliance information and more.”

8

Use of the Internet provided an unprecedented level of organizational

transparency. This transparency

paved the way for effective public/private partnerships and open

communication between different industries preparing for Y2K. Companies and industry groups employed

aggressive methods of evaluating

Y2K progress. For example, the

telecommunications industry was

evaluating the Y2K readiness of the

power industry, the banking industry

was evaluating the telecommunications industry, and the power industry was looking at both industries as

sources of Y2K vulnerability. Once

these groups began publishing

 

8

 Testimony of Harris Miller, President of the Information Technology Association of America,

before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology, House

Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, January 27, 2000.

readiness reports about each other,

it became clear that insular perspectives were ultimately self-defeating,

given the level of industry interdependence. As Howard Rubin testified

before the Committee, “[m]ore recently, a major shift in the global position and posture with regard to

Year 2000 has to do with the realization of the level of interaction between and within nations and sectors.“

9

The President’s Y2K Conversion

Council deserves an enormous

amount of credit for facilitating public/private partnerships. Key partnerships are shown in the table. By

establishing more than 20 sector

working groups chaired by a federal

agency, with private sector trade association participation, much sharing

of information and cross sector coordination was made possible. This

sharing of lessons learned enabled

work to be completed more effi-

 

9

 Testimony before the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, October 13, 1999.

KEY PRIVATE/PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS

Sector Trade Association Lead Federal Organization

Airlines Air Transport Association Department of Transportation

Electric Power North American Electric Reliability Department of Energy

Financial Services Securities Industry Association Securities and Exchange Commission

Natural Gas American Gas Association Department of Energy

Interstate Natural Gas Association

of America

Oil American Petroleum Institute Department of Energy

Pharmaceuticals National Pharmaceutical Alliance Department of Health and Human Service

National Association of Chain Drug

 Stores

Retail National Retail Federation Information Coordination Center

Telecommunications Network Reliability and National Communications System

 Interoperability Council
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ciently than would otherwise have

been possible, and provided a level

of comfort among dependent sectors

that specific Y2K concerns were being addressed. The Committee

finds that these private/public partnerships may be useful for addressing computer security, infrastructure

protection, and other IT issues in the

future.

Useful partnerships were also established internationally. Many international organizations were instrumental in heightening worldwide Y2K

awareness and in stimulating action.

Most importantly, the United Nations

(UN) held its first Y2K event in December 1998. About 120 countries

sent delegates and, according to

John Koskinen, “probably half of

whom weren’t sure why they were

there.”

10 By the UN’s second meeting in June 1999, where more than

170 countries sent delegates, nearly

all had mounted a serious national

effort to ensure their critical systems

would be ready.

The International Y2K Cooperation

Center was established in February

1999 under the auspices of the UN

with funding from the World Bank.

This organization created a useful

mechanism for governments from

member countries to share information and lessons learned about Y2K.

the Cooperation Center probably enabled countries, particularly those

that got off to a slow start, to catch

 

10 Testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology, House Committee on Government Reform

and Oversight, January 27, 2000.

up by more efficiently addressing

Y2K problems. Although the Center

is scheduled to disband on March 1,

2000, the Committee finds that some

type of similar international coordination mechanism could be useful in

addressing future IT issues.

GREATER AWARENESS OF IT

DEPENDENCIES & SECURITY RISKS

Y2K prompted the government and

the private sector to closely examine

the IT infrastructure upon which they

had come to rely. As contractors

and subcontractors were brought in

to do inventory assessments and to

test and remediate software and

hardware, many organizations began

to think carefully about the risk to

information security. To varying degrees, the entire business enterprise

of virtually every private organization

and government entity has been

opened to outsiders.

As the Committee noted in its 100

Day Report, the risk of giving outsiders sudden access to systems that

once belonged only to trusted insiders presents a credible risk to information security stability. The GAO

recently criticized the Federal Aviation Administration for giving nonU.S. citizens access to highly sensitive information systems critical to air

safety.11 Currently, the breach to

security remains unknown.

 

11 “Computer Security: FAA Needs to Improve

Controls Over the Use of Foreign Nationals to

Remediate and Review Software,” AIMD-00-55,

Dec. 23, 1999.
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There is no geography in the world

of software. Y2K corrections were

made around the world with tremendous speed, and a variety of fixes

were implemented. There is some

degree of risk associated with the

rapid deconstruction of successful

Y2K programs and the dispersal of

the system expertise that was developed.

Security is a process of becoming,

not a state of being. The ecommerce revolution has perforated

complex interconnected business

entities with security breaches. Information technology and security

issues have moved from the backroom to the boardroom. The communities that most need to be engaged are financial analysts, who

can drive the business to excel at

information security.

The need to shore up information

security was reinforced by the wave

of denial of service attacks that occurred during the first weeks of February 2000. Such attacks raised

questions about the security of web

sites used by millions of Americans

for both pleasure and business. The

threat to these businesses should

provide additional incentive to the

industry to work together with government to form a united front

against future attacks.

Perhaps Y2K has helped organizations develop a keener sense of their

dependency on information technology. Before Y2K occurred, the DOD

did not know how many missioncritical systems it had. Likewise,

many corporations found that they

were not aware of the redundancy or

the inefficiency of their information

enterprises.

Y2K significantly raised the importance of IT issues and caused much

of government and industry to raise

security and reliability as top executive priorities—a position they will

likely maintain for the foreseeable

future. A great deal of attention has

been given to securing the Internet

and making transactions for ecommerce safe and trusted. However, the question remains whether

the requisite attention has been

given to the assurance and security

of the Internet infrastructure.
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WHAT’S NEXT/HOW DO WE CAPITALIZE ON Y2K?

Y2K has heightened awareness

about the importance of high-tech

infrastructure protection. Since its

formation, the Committee has focused closely on technological vulnerabilities in key national infrastructures.

It is the Committee’s assessment

that improving critical infrastructure

protection will be the next major

challenge to the IT community. The

Senate must examine congressional

structure and efficacy for addressing

critical infrastructure protection and

future IT issues.

MAINTAIN/ENHANCE Y2K

NETWORKS AND

PUBLIC/PRIVATE

PARTNERSHIPS

During the readiness process, new

relationships and partnerships were

forged to combat the shared risk of

Y2K vulnerability. The interconnectedness and interdependencies of

modern businesses and organizations, across all industry sectors, required that programs addressing

Y2K not simply focus internally, but

also on supply chain relationships

and business partnerships.

In the Information Age, the relationships established for Y2K will prove

invaluable. Many of the efforts undertaken to manage and remedy the

Year 2000 problem can also be applied to long-term challenges. For

example, the challenge of protecting

critical infrastructures from computer-based attacks extends well beyond federal operations. It spans the

entire spectrum of the national and

global economies.

Many critical infrastructure facilities

are owned and operated by private

companies whose continued secure

operations are essential to the national welfare. As a result, establishing public-private partnerships has

been recognized as one of the major

challenges of critical infrastructure

protection.

Year 2000 preparation addressed

numerous vulnerabilities outside the

federal government. Vulnerabilities

were identified in state and local

governments, the public infrastructure, and other key economic sectors

such as financial services. A single

failure in one system could affect

many others, including those in the

nation's complex array of public and

private enterprises that have system

interdependencies at all levels.

For this reason, it is important that

domestic and international industry

and government partnerships nurtured during Y2K preparations are

maintained and continue to grow.
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LEVERAGE Y2K LESSONS TO

IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE

PROTECTION

Preparation for Y2K prompted a significant, worldwide investment in

business information systems and

high-tech infrastructures. This investment has not only improved

system and network reliability, but

has also accelerated e-commerce

and globalization. Globalization—

rapid economic, technological,

cultural and political integration—is

bringing citizens from all continents

closer together, allowing them to

instantaneously share ideas, goods,

and information. The Internet,

globalization’s superhighway, has

become an essential tool for

strategic coordination and

communication in government and

private industry.

With its rewards, however, globalization also brings risks. Aside from the

traditional threats associated with

weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drug trafficking, and other

international crimes are global concerns that transcend national borders.

Domestic national security and economic strength is no longer protected

by geographic separation from adversaries by the Atlantic and Pacific

oceans. The new geography of

worldwide Internet connectivity

leaves the U.S. vulnerable to the impact of economic problems experienced in other countries, anywhere

in the world.

In addition, the low cost and availability of computer technology places

adversaries within a few keystrokes

of key national systems. The interconnectivity and public access to

U.S. information systems makes the

nation more vulnerable to information attacks than most.

A looming challenge for U.S. policy

makers lies in devising methods to

detect, deter and respond to information attacks against critical national infrastructures.

Congress became concerned about

information attacks and tasked the

Administration to investigate, report

and develop a plan for information

and cyber defense 1996 and 1997.

Presidential Decision Directive No.

63 (PDD 63) was issued in May

1998, and a national plan for critical

infrastructure protection was released in January 2000. These

documents constituted the federal

government’s first formal approach

to national defense against information-based attacks.

The National Security Strategy released by the White House in January 2000 outlines the issues of vital

interest to the country. Among these

are the physical security of the U.S.

and its allies, the safety of U.S. citizens, the economic well-being of

American society, and the protection

of our critical infrastructures, such as

energy, banking and finance, telecommunications, transportation,
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water systems, and emergency

services.12

The National Plan to protect information systems is entitled "An

Invitation to Dialogue." Congress

and the Administration must examine

the following:

• The role of the DOD in providing

a defense against information

attacks;

• The U.S. definition of an information attack;

• The adequacy of organization

and funding among the intelligence community to assess and

address information warfare

threats;

• The need for the National Intelligence Council to have an Information operations officer;

• A national security amendment to

the Telecommunications Act of

1996 to outline a reconstitution

requirement for Internet service

providers; and

• A legal framework providing for

the common defense while ensuring individual privacy and security.

The security challenges which will

face the U.S. in the coming years will

be increasingly complex. This is particularly so because the challenges

 

12 “National Plan for Information Systems Protection Version 1.0: An Invitation to a Dialogue.”

are likely to be a mixture of physical

and information-based attacks that

tangle jurisdictional boundaries and

thwart the timely response of the

federal agencies.

CONGRESSIONAL ROLE IN

INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION

Critical infrastructure protection includes a vast range of issue areas.

Such areas include information and

communications; banking and finance; water supply; transportation;

emergency law enforcement; emergency fire service; emergency medicine; electric power, oil, and gas

supply and distribution; law enforcement and internal security; intelligence; foreign affairs; and national

defense. These activities cross multiple committee jurisdictions. Many

congressional committees have

oversight over small segments of

critical infrastructure protection, and

no congressional committee has the

jurisdiction over the issue as a

whole.
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APPENDIX I

COMMITTEE ENABLING LEGISLATION

The Committee was established during the second session of the 105th Congress

by Senate Resolution No. 208. This resolution, which was agreed to on April 2,

1998, set forth the Committee’s purposes, membership, authority, and funding.

Senate Resolution No. 208 was amended during the first session of the 106th

Congress by Senate Resolution No. 7. This resolution, which was agreed to on

March 2, 1999, increased the Committee’s funding. The full text of both resolutions follows.
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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Senate Resolution 208, authorizing the Committee is available

online at the Library of Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.RES.208:
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APPENDIX II

EXAMPLES OF Y2K GLITCHES

The full extent of Y2K problems will probably never be known because only a

small fraction of the actual occurrences will be reported. There is no incentive for

corporations or countries of the world to openly report computer problems. As

with any internal problems, organizations will likely simply fix them and continue

their operations unbeknownst to the general public. The problems listed below

were compiled from a variety of public and private sources including news services. While the sources are considered to be reliable, the Committee was not

able to verify each incident or specifically attribute it to Y2K.

Utilities:

• Several electric utilities in North America have reported minor glitches with

the synchronization feature of the clocks used in their energy management

system computers

• Seven nuclear power plants experienced minor Y2K glitches in non-safety

systems and were quickly fixed

• Hadley, MA: Software used to process data and create reports at the town's

wastewater treatment plant has experienced a Y2K failure

• Hundreds of Knoxville Utilities Board bills were printed with incorrect "payment due" dates, either in January 1900 or January 2099.

• The new Manatee County Public Works system was spitting out water, sewer

and garbage bills with unrelated and incorrect data, but corrected utility bills

are finally in the mail for 20,000 Manatee County (Florida) customers a month

late after changes intended as Y2K fixes caused problems

• A power outage in Carson City, Nevada for 30 minutes

• Santa Fe water company experienced billing system glitches

• Akron, Ohio water company sends out erroneous shut off notices to 3000

customers

• Grand Prairie,

Healthcare:

• Tissue processor medical device in VA hospital would not accept 2000 as a

date to run on automatic, but would operate manually

• Medical displays of Sera-520 model electrolysis analyzers have incorrect date

stamp, but operation not affected
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• Florida and Kentucky reported Y2K-related problems with their unemployment

benefits’ automated telephone call processing system. 100 claimants in

Florida and fewer than 50 claimants in Kentucky were effected and the problems were fixed

• Guam implemented manual processing for several welfare systems that were

not Y2K compliant

• $50 million in Medicare payments were delayed 1 day because of a Y2K

problem with the electronic fund transfer through a bank that handles such

transactions

• Medicare provider claims are being returned (rejected) because they are being submitted with dates of 1900 or 2099. One contractor alone had received

about 11,000 claims with these erroneous dates

• Oregon had Y2K-related errors in systems used for Food Stamps, Child Support Enforcement, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The

problems were fixed, but a 1 day delay in some payments to clients resulted

Telecommunications:

• Charlotte, North Carolina: 911 systems broke down Wednesday 12/29/99

during rounds of Y2K testing

• Emergency telephones along Interstate 87 stop working

• Long distance phone service was out in widespread parts of central Montana

for about three hours

• Cisco issues notices of router problems since rollover and for February 29

• 911 problems in Orange County Florida

• 911 system in the Minneapolis metro area experienced problems on January

30th for several hours due to a system upgrade.

Transportation:

• Amtrak's Philadelphia Control Center system would not retain train symbols

as the train progressed on the system

• Two key FAA systems experienced Y2K problems that were quickly resolved:

(1) the Low Level Wind Shear Alert System at eight sites, (2) Kavouras

Graphic Weather Display System

• Power Conditioning System Data terminal equipment in four cities displayed

the date "1900" on rollover

• ARINC Oceanic Display and Planning System printers in two locations failed

the transition from 1999 to 2000. These are not FAA printers but are a redundant system used in the relay of data from ARINC communications centers to

air traffic controllers handling oceanic traffic

• I n Chicago, an airport wind-shear alert system had a minor glitch that flashed

an error message at four smaller airports and railroad gates in Shiloh went

down without reason and stayed down
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Financial:

• Bank credit card companies reported problems with merchants who did not

install free upgrades to CyberCash, Inc. software; result was duplicate postings of charges

• Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported glitch in transferring tax payments

from customers of 60 financial institutions

• Failure of overnight batch credit card settlement through Chase Merchant

Services

General Business:

• Godiva Chocolates (parent company – Cambell Soup) experienced total systems failure including cash registers in its New York store, but were back in

operation within three hours.

• Several news papers find problems with dates in online editions, but content

was not affected

• A small Portland trucking firm could not access any of its accounting information as a result of not installing upgrades to its BizWorks software

• Incorrect dates appeared on office automation software for a small New Jersey trucking firm, but did not impact operations

• Retailers that did not update their ICVerify systems could not do batch settlements after close of business; did not affect customer transactions, but could

affect thousands of small businesses

• Department of Defense Satellite-based intelligence system experienced a

Y2K failure shortly after GMT in the ground station

• The District of Columbia replaced its non-Y2K compliant system with a new

financial management system late last year – & delays in full implementation

are expected to delay some budget reports

• Some driver licenses issued by the state of Indiana contained an incorrect

expiration date due to a Y2K glitch. According to the Indiana Bureau of Motor

Vehicles, "Persons under age 75 received a driver license that expires in

2005, although state law mandates that a license is valid for four years. Motorists age 75 and older are required to renew a driver license every three

years, but licenses issued since Jan 2 show an expiration date of 2004."

• A Y2K problem caused Richland, Mississippi police dept. to sent out hundreds of incorrect letters demanding immediate payment for traffic fines,

some of which had already been paid

• The Navajo Nation Law Enforcement reported that seven of its eight computer-aided dispatch servers failed and a manual process was used until the

servers were fixed on January 19, 2000

• The security access system froze in an open position due to malfunction in

clock system in a federal building in Omaha
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• Computers in three Hampstead county (Arkansas) offices have been bitten by

the Y2K bug. The glitch in the program has halted work on payroll and claims

• In Chicago, the city's Doppler radar system went down for about five minutes.

• A computer-run energy-management system at a federal building in Chicago

suddenly flashed the date Jan. 4, 1980

• Redmond, Washington experienced problems with its city-issued fuel access

cards, and the police department's computer-aided dispatch system found a

minor Y2K bug

General Government:

• 800 slot machines in Delaware shut down after reading the current date as

January 1, 1900

• Highland Bank of Chicago experienced problems receiving and processing

electronic funds transfer payment files affecting a Medicare contractor in

California, Oregon, Arizona, and New York

• Florida and Kentucky reported problems with unemployment insurance benefit systems that delayed individuals from filing claims

• The Y2K bug caused a few minor malfunctions in Apple Computer Inc.’s information technology system.

• Slot machines malfunctioned on December 31st due to Y2K

• U.S. Homecare had to create manual work-arounds for all basic functions,

from billing to payroll because of Y2K glitches that struck shortly after the new

year

• Lamonts Apparel Inc., which operates 38 department stores in the Pacific

Northwest, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said that

its cash flow had been squeezed by slow spring and summer sales and unexpected costs associated with fixing its Y2K computer problems The company paid a combined $10 million to install new computerized registers and

other hardware as part of its efforts to combat the Y2K bug

• The government listings in the Milwaukee white pages are so riddled with errors that Ameritech Corp. has agreed to reprint that section and hand-deliver

it for free to consumers next month. The company updated its software last

year to make it Y2K-compliant. But the software had bugs and introduced the

errors into the system

• In Champaign, Ill., roughly 8,500 Illicall subscribers received their January

2000 long-distance statements; however, they appear to be a century old already because of a Y2K glitch

International:

Australia

• Telephone outages in southern Australia

• Payroll calculated from 1900 at Sybiz Software
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• PC problems reported by Microsoft Australia

• Electric train ticket sales equipment in Sydney registered wrong date

• Public transport ticketing system failed in Tasmania and South Australia

Austria

• City of Vienna EDP systems failures

Belarus

• Pension payment system problems

Benin

• Bank pension systems malfunction

• Telecommunications switching problems

• Maritime GPS equipment malfunction

• Train telecommunication switch disruptions

Bolivia

• Failure in a customs system at Puetro Suarez

• Land property registration glitches

• Minor glitches at a public office in Cobija

• Health diagnosis equipment failure

• Accounting software (SINCOM) failure

Botswana

• Fax and telex system failures within government offices

• Medical equipment failures at Athlope Hospital

• Police department fax and telex system problems

Brazil

• Airport customs systems did not recognize receipts issued last year

• Port customs system did not recognize receipts issued last year

• Convenience store cash registers could not process receipts

• Hospital appointment system failed

• Toll booths unable to process receipts

Bulgaria

• Internet servers unavailable shortly after rollover

Canada

• Public school system payroll miscalculations

• Prison door systems failed in British Colombia

• Department of motor vehicle system malfunction

• Failure of a switching station in Oshawa

• Malfunctions on individual portfolios on the Toronto Stock Exchange website

China

• A few mid- to small-businesses” financial systems failed

• A QingDao hotel reported a problem in its control system for room assignments

• Taxi meter failures reported in NanJing

• ATMs would not dispense cash and had incorrect balance displays

• Database problems at the Anning Printing Plant
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• Savings bank electronic time keeping board malfunctions

• Reporting/query system malfunctions at newspaper offices

• Date display malfunctions at Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital

• Halian Department Store system malfunctions

• State Meteorological Administration computerizxed monitoring system failed

• Peoples Bank internal and interbank e-mail and credit card system failures

• Taxi meter failures

Colombia

• Social security systems date validation conflicts

• Non-compliant maritime tank ship

Costa Rica

• Billing system problems at a petroleum refinery

Czech Republic

• Taxi meter failures

• Land registry office system malfunctions

Denmark

• Second largest bank, UNIBANK, identified glitch in Unitel payment and information systems for about 20 corporate clients

Ecuador

• Internet server problems at the Ministry of Labor

• System malfunctions at the offices of the Attorney General

Egypt

• Hospital dialysis machine failures

France

• Ground station communication problem relating to Syracuse II satellite

• Finance, personnel, and production system malfunctions at more than 15% of

the nation’s small businesses

Gabon

• Isolate incidents with some accounting systems

Gambia

• Miscellaneous air and sea transportation system failures

• Custom service system failures

• Miscellaneous tax service system failures

• Unspecified power outages

• Miscellaneous treasury department system failures

Germany

• Cash register failures

• Berlin’s German Opera experienced payroll system anomolies

• Cologne Bank on-line banking glitches

Ghana

• Bio-medical equipment malfunctions at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital

• Telecommunications phone line malfunctions

• Power system billing and equipment problems at the Dolta River Authority
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Greece

• Problems with older model cash registers

• Billing system date anomalies at Athens utility

Grenada

• Manual backup used in lieu of compliant customs service computer system

• Payroll component of the National Water and Sewerage Authority, the sole

provider of water in Grenada, was not compliant

Guatemala

• Miscellaneous system failures reported by several medium and small enterprises

Hong Kong

• A local area network used by a training department contained incorrect date

field

• Instruments used by police department to conduct breathalyzer tests failed,

but were fixed within 10 days

• Improper calculations in Hong Kong Futures Exchange’s options pricing system

• Hospital blood sample analyzer equipment date stamp problems

• Office automation problems within the Agriculture and Fisheries Department

• Miscellaneous glitches reported by about 10 small businesses

Indonesia

• Bank of Indonesia command center computer malfunctions

• Bank Niaga ATMs deny access to customers

• Mobile phone billing system failures

Iran

• Blood gas analyzer failed in a Tabriz hospital

Iraq

• Oil export pipeline system clock rolled back

Ireland

• Eircom’s automated balance system displayed incorrect date

Israel

• Miscellaneous minor problems reported by Defense, public and government

institutions and banks

Italy

• Automated systems use by Naples and Venice courthouses failed

• Bari Central Court system inadvertently erased 1999 data

• Miscellaneous problems reported by 20 small town governments

• Electro medical equipment malfunctions

• Time card machines malfunction

• Telecom Italia signaling and billing system anomalies

Jamaica

• 8 traffic lights (30% of Corporate Area) went out

Japan
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• Weather monitoring and reporting system non power related problems at

Shika Nuclear Power Plant

• Glitch in a system used to provide weather information for small airplanes

• Japanese Railway ticket distributing system problems

• Japanese electronics firms experienced 50 different problems in various business and plant computer systems

• Bicycle parking lot machines malfunction

• Fire and emergency systems failures

• Government vehicle tax computers malfunctioned

• Government residency computers malfunctioned

• JR Sakaide Station entrance gate system did not recognize employee passes

• Noise monitoring system at New Tokyo International Airport lost data

• Tokushima University’s bone density measuring device miscalculated patient

ages

• Sewage works device malfunction

• NTT Mobil Communications phones deleted messages

• Matsushita Communications registered mail software malfunctioned

• IDO Corp. mobile phones do not display dates

• Hokuriku Electric Power Company’s emergency data transmission system

malfunctions

• Tokyo Electric Power Company experience problems in data storage and

processing systems, detectors, position control rods, and test radiation analysis system

• Toyota Motor Company navigation devices malfunction

• 10 banks and credit cooperatives experienced bankbook date and ATM data

display problems

• Onagawa Nuclear Plant electric substation failure

• Rokkashomura Nuclear Waste Storage Facility management and monitoring

system date malfunction

• 12 small brokerages experience glitches in record keeping systems

• Tokyo Stock Exchange experienced errors in back office system

• Tohoku Electric Power Co. jauge to measure sea water problems failed

Kazakhstan

• Manual operation employed to overcome computer system problems at Ekibastuz Hydroelectric Power Station-@

• Kazakh Railway Co. personal computer problems

• Systems used to control air conditioning and elevators in government buildings failed because Johnson Control Company upgrades not installed

Latvia

• Incorrect date stamps on systems at Riga City customs office

Malawi

• Hotel booking system failed and lost registrations

Malaysia
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• Failure of a building automation system at the Sibuand Muar Hospitals

• CTG machine at Tung Shin Hospital experienced date stamp problem, but

continued to operate

• Failure of patient registration system at Machang Hospital

• Ultrasound machines at Sultanah Aminah and Muar Hospitals experienced

date problems

• Blood gas analyzer at Alor Setar Hospital had date stamp problem

• Blood Pressure monitor at Bintulu Hospital had date stamp problem

• Several land offices experienced problems in billing system software

• Several gas pump display panels displayed wrong dates

• Penang province satellite television went out

Mali

• Systems used to monitor the transport of merchandise and dispense tickets

for a Mali ferry systems broke down

Mexico

• Some medical equipment such as ultrasound, X-ray, and clinical analysis machines experienced date stamp problems

Moldova

• Transports and Communications Ministry experiences date malfunctions

Mongolia

• A few railroad ticketing systems experienced problems, but were fixed the

same day

Namibia

• Database used by Ministry of Works, Transport, and Communication did not

correctly recognize year 2000 dates

• Channel 7 radio station’s advertising scheduling system failed; manual operations were employed

• Bank of Namibia ATMs had difficulty detecting bar codes

Netherlands

• Miscellaneous failures in on-line banking systems

New Zealand

• Mobile computer units in ambulances failed

• Auckland University database could not be reset

• Unspecified water pumping station problems

• Miscellaneous minor power outages in Invercargill and Alexandria

• Police computer system outage

• Air traffic control system radars were operating, but inter connections were

down

• Bus pass validating machines would not accept passes

• Auckland Airport website date anomalies

Nicaragua

• Minor glitches reported by Supreme Court and Ministry of Agriculture

• Date problems in ultrasound and dialysis machines reported by Ministry of
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Health

• Unconfirmed reports of glitches in 800 medium sized companies

• Nueve Segovia Local System of Integral Health Statistics failed

• Ministry of Agricultural Development and Forestry reported miscellaneous

system failures

Nigeria

• Port Harcourt refinery maintenance and material management system problems was fixed within 3 hours

• Non-compliant telephone companies were intentionally disconnected to avoid

problems

Norway

• Cash register failures at 7-Eleven stores

• Isolated ATM failures

• Hospital X-ray machines malfunction

Pakistan

• Computer system malfunction at the Karachi Development Authority

• Electric power authority experienced cascading failures in transmission lines

in Multan, Faisalabad, Tarbela, and Mangla

• Date malfunctions at the Islamabad Stock Exchange

Palestinian Authority

• Miscellaneous failures in government systems

Philippines

• Several date stamp problems reported in fax machines and other non-critical

electronic equipment

• Philippine Rural Bank declared holiday to curtail massive cash withdrawals

Portugal

• Minor Y2K glitches in hospital payment and admissions systems

• Miscellaneous problems with government Ministerial databases and payment

processing systems

Republic of Korea

• Heat and hot water loss in an apartment building

• Medical device used for density measurement failed

• Various problems at an aluminum manufacturing plant

Russia

• Nuclear power plant management system malfunctions

• Government system e-mail disruptions

• Telephone switch failure in the central Sverdlovsk region and the city of

Orenburg

• Boiler pump failure caused 8900 people in the far east to lose heat

• Operational control system malfunction in Lenergo Power’s central control

room

Rwanda

• Operating system for customs computer failed
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Saudi Arabia

• Medical equipment such as electrocardiogram, ultrasound and arterial blood

gas machines experienced date function problems

• Locally designed software had problems in comparing Muslim to western

dates

• University student transcript system anomalies

Slovakia

• Incorrect date displayed on bank webpage

• Incorrect date displayed on weekly magazine webpage

• Hydrometeorological Institute system malfunctions

South Korea

• Graduate certificates dated 1900 at Korea University

• Video rental store computers could not accept 2000 dates

• Hotel reservation systems malfunction

• Production control data exchange problems at Ch’angwon Industrial Complex

aluminum manufacturing plant

• Bone marrow equipment and patient registration systems malfunctioned at

Ansan Severance Hospital and Dongshin Hospital

• Automatic broadcast system failed at Bukshim Cable TV requiring manual

intervention

• Apartment building heat and hot water system failures

• Trial summons dated 1900 at Provincial Court

Spain

• Two nuclear power stations reported problems with non-critical computer

systems

Sri Lanka

• A Holter ECG Monitoring Units failed at Shri Jayawardenepura Hospital

• Blood gas analyzers and intensive care unit equipment failed at Kandy Hospital

• Supermarket point of sale electronic funds transfer system malfunctioned

Sudan

• Interbank communications in two banks delayed by two days

Sweden

• Isolated glitches in healthcare and hospital admissions systems

• Parking meter problems

• Cash register failures

• Computerized entry to sport center not working

• Control and surveillance system problems in a water plant

• Hospitals experienced problems with kidney dialysis equipment and electrocardiograph machines

• Ikea store card system rejected cards as out of date

• 10% of customers report internet banking problems

Taiwan
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• Blood pressure measuring machine and hospital registration problems in

Taoyuan County

Tajikistan

• Miscellaneous government computer system failures

Tanzania

• Zanzibar reported television transmission problems

Thailand

• Meteorological Department satellite date anomalies

• Unspecified computer system failures at Loei Hospital

• Power plant date malfunctions

• Analysis tool displayed erroneous date at Rama Hospital

• Tele-banking and cash management system data feed problems at Siam

Commercial bank

Turkey

• Minor glitches reported in biomedical equipment at a few hospitals including

blood sample analyzing machines, patient monitoring equipment, ultrasonic

devices, tomography devices and dialyses machines

• Miscellaneous Y2K glitches experienced by several manufacturing companies

including Akin Tekstil, Arcelik, Emsan Besyildiz, Emsan Paslanmaz, and Erciyas Biracilik

Uganda

• Non-compliant computers at examinations authority forced manual workarounds

• Nakawa Inland Port billing system failure

• Education facility’s academic test processing system required manual workaround

Ukraine

• Nuclear power plant system failure caused a 45% reduction in power generation

United Kingdom

• Welsh Tax Office had forms dated 1900 returned

• English Registry Office system erroneously recorded 1900 on birth certificates

• Surveys show that about 5% of private firms experienced computer failures

• Sainsbury Superstore had point of sale equipment failures

• Two nuclear power stations had malfunctions in monitoring systems and data

transfers

• Date malfunctions at the Oldham Chronicle’s website

• BBC had unspecified system malfunctions

• Accounting systems malfunction at the Portman Building Society

• Racal/HSBC point-of-sale terminals would not accept cards

Venezuela

• Shutdown of biomedical equipment laboratory analyzer optic reader

• Temperature monitoring system at a major aluminum manufacturing facility
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shutdown and required manual intervention to sustain operations

Vietnam

• Isolated telephone switching problems

• Small and medium sized enterprises experienced problems with Novell Netware 4.1 operating system

Zambia

• Telecommunications interruptions between Zambia and Malawi

• Financial management system software used by all government ministries

experienced problems that caused incorrect calculations

Zimbabwe

• City of Harare’s financial system failed causing delays in billings for water

• Town of Ruwa reported that their financial and billing system went down

• Central Mechanical Equipment Department’s computer system crashed

• Ministry of Mines experienced office automation problems
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APPENDIX III

COMMITTEE HEARINGS

106th Congress

12/08/99: “Y2K: Will Our Seniors Suffer?” (Field Hearing)

10/25/99: “Y2K’s Impact on the Economy” (Field Hearing)

10/22/99: “McDonald’s: Is the Largest ‘Small Business’ Y2K Ready?”

10/13/99: “International Preparedness: What in the World Will Happen?”

10/07/99: “’Virtual’ Hearing on Emergency Preparedness”

09/30/99: “Will Y2K Snarl Global Transportation?”

09/28/99: “Y2K and Russia: Potential Impacts and Future Consequences?”

09/21/99: “Education and Y2K: Will Our Schools Make the Grade?”

08/04/99: “Y2K Update on Gas and Electric Utilities” (Virtual Hearing)

07/29/99: “Y2K Response, Recovery, and Cyber-Reconstitution: Understanding the Role of

the Information Coordination Center”

07/22/99: “The Year 2000 and Global Corporations: Will the Bug Bite Big Business?”

07/15/99: “State and Local Government Year 2000 Preparedness”

06/22/99: “Federal Y2K Spending: Where is the Money Going?” (Joint Hearing with the

Senate Appropriations Committee) (S. Hrg. 106-219)

06/10/99: “Y2K and Healthcare: It’s Time for Triage”

05/25/99: “Community Y2K Preparedness: Is There News They Can Use?”

05/10/99: “Will Y2K and Chemicals be a Volatile Mix?” (Field Hearing) (S. Hrg. 106-160)

04/29/99: “911 and Y2K: Will the Call be Answered?” (S. Hrg. 106-186)

04/22/99: “Year 2000 and Oil Imports: Can Y2K Bring Back the Gas Lines?”

04/14/99: “Federal Government Year 2000 Preparedness: What’s Next for Those Who

Missed the March Deadline?”

03/30/99: “Y2K in Nevada” (Field Hearing)

03/11/99: “Y2K in the Courts: Will We Be Capsized by a Wave of Litigation?” (S. Hrg. 106-

97)

03/05/99: “International Year 2000 Issues: Will the World Be Ready?”

03/02/99: “The Food Industry and Y2K: Starving for Attention?” (S. Hrg. 106-38)

02/19/99: “The Millennium Bug: Is Oregon Prepared?” (Field Hearing) (S. Hrg. 106-88)

02/05/99: “The Food Supply: Will the Cupboards be Bare?” (S. Hrg. 106-89)
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105th Congress

12/18/98: “Y2K + H20: Safeguarding Our Most Vital Resource” (S. Hrg. 105-971)

10/07/98: “Small Businesses to Global Corporations: Will They Survive the Year 2000?” (S.

Hrg. 105-894)

10/02/98: “Emergency Planning for the Year 2000: Preparation or Panic?” (S. Hrg. 105-

895)

09/17/98: “The Year 2000 Technology Problem: Pensions and Mutual Funds” (S. Hrg. 105-

770)

09/10/98: “Transportation After Y2K: Can We Get There From Here?” (S. Hrg. 105-777)

07/31/98: “Telecommunications and Y2K: Communicating the Challenge of the Year 2000”

(S. Hrg. 105-692)

07/23/98: “The Year 2000 Computer Problem: Will the Health Care Industry Be Ready?”

(S. Hrg. 105-688)

07/06/98: “International Banking & Finance: An American Perspective” (S. Hrg. 105-628)

07/01/98: “Northwest Year 2000 Summit” (Field Hearing) (S. Hrg. 105-693)

06/12/98: “Utilities and the National Power Grid” (S. Hrg. 105-617)