Applying the Lessons Many of the lessons learned during the course of Y2K remediation have direct implications for information security. The global Y2K remediation effort clearly demonstrated that given the proper incentives to cooperate, a virtual worldwide organization can successfully work together to solve a challenging distributed problem. A central organizing function, in this case the international council of Y2K coordinators, encourages the open exchange of critical information among network members through a combination of personal contact and electronic information sharing. This approach is already being applied in the information security arena. Under the leadership of the United Nations Working Group on Informatics, the network of national Y2K coordinators has morphed into a network of senior government IT representatives from more than 100 countries.
Information security is their first project.
It will ultimately produce a best practices guide for governments. Infrastructures are both connected and resilient. There was concern that local Y2K failures could cascade around the world through interconnected power, communications and trade networks. While that did not happen, the Y2K remediation efforts certainly taught us a great deal about supply chains and interdependencies. Telephone and electrical power systems, for instance, depend on each other for efficient operation.