“The Internet has become a vital part of commerce and culture, but it is still a free-for-all when it comes to facing computer meltdowns. As America’s 156 million Internet users brace for the next round of digital vandalism, some experts say that it is time for the government to bolster a basic sense of stability in cyberspace that societies expect from their critical public resources.
“The government has essentially relied on the voluntary efforts of industry both to make less-buggy software and make systems more resilient,” says Michael A. Vatis, former director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “What we’re seeing is that those voluntary efforts are insufficient, and the repercussions are vast.”
Proposals for government action being discussed by policy makers and computer security experts include strengthening the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity division and offering tax incentives to businesses for spending on security. Another proposal would require public companies to disclose potential computer security risks in Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Unlike the airwaves or the highways, the Internet is not subject to government oversight. And even the specter of intervention can raise hackles among business leaders and technologists who see the Internet’s openness as crucial to its success as a platform for innovation.
But the increasing frequency and severity of computer virus attacks – last month’s dual assault cost billions of dollars in lost productivity alone – may have muted the antiregulatory reflex.”
More for NY Times website registrants at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/01/technology/01NET.html?ex=1063428030&ei=1&en=a7bf7015e26b985b