William Reinsch, Commerce undersecretary fo export administration, said today that in ongoing negotiations with the European Commission the United States will try to underscore what it sees as its flexibility on encryption policy. I'm surprised that the European Commission study objected to recovery technology without providing an alternative that balances privacy and electronic commerce with law enforcement and national security. The European Commission plans to hold a hearing on encryption and digital signatures in early 1998. A U.S. presidential commission says cyber terrorism could be today's worst threat to national security. One of the most worrisome trends is an increase in system-cracking tools.
Information warfare is now a recognized reality.
In a report submitted to President Clinton on Monday, October 20, the Presidential Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection named cyber terrorism as potentially today's worst threat to public and national security. While the report is classified, much of the commission's conclusions were discussed at the National Information Systems Security Conference earlier this month. It's going to require a new way of thinking about our vulnerabilities. Marsh pointed to America's military superiority as the main force driving malicious network attacks. The commission studies the risks to the nation's infrastructure, including telecommunications networks, electric power grids, transportation, water lines, and emergency services.