However, in many ways the two hazards are distinct. Our attempts to address Y2K problems have shown that our society and economy are surprisingly vulnerable to fragile software and that software is remarkably hard to repair. Our society has had little time to learn to live with and to rely on technology, and we have yet to develop appropriate legal and institutional frameworks to deal with cyber threats. Similarly, accounting practices, which precisely quantify traditional business vulnerabilities, are only now beginning to consider vulnerability to fragile software, a surprising result given that Y2K conversions are expected to cost billions of dollars. It is also unclear how responsibility for dealing with cyber vulnerabilities should be divided among private companies, different levels of government, and individuals.
Terrorism presents different issues.
Since the Gulf War, military planners in the United States and in nations across the globe have recognized that the United States and its Western allies are likely to have substantial superiority in a battle with conventional weapons. This has raised concern about emerging threats, and specifically terrorist threats to infrastructure. Willful attacks present political and social issues that do not arise with natural hazards. Whether a physical infrastructure is disabled due to a natural cause, a disgruntled employee, or a terrorist act, the physical consequences may be similar. Willful hazards also present a conflict between the open discussion that democracies require and the need for secrecy as a means of security.