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Guest Commentary December 27, 2001
Technology and Terrorism
The Honorable Orrin Hatch
It is becoming increasingly clear that American technological supremacy will be an invaluable asset in our efforts to combat international terrorism and protect our citizens from further attack. The technological advantages we now enjoy -- in weapons, in communications infrastructure, and in detection systems -- must be both aggressively pursued and zealously guarded.
For example, the recent anthrax attacks in this country highlight the need for the prompt deployment of effective technology to track the origins of the dangerous biochemical substances that threaten our security. This lack of important information hampers our ability to track down, capture, and punish terrorists and their supporters. The technology to accomplish this goal exists, and can be quickly and inexpensively modified to law enforcement and public safety requirements. However, the government needs to make this a priority.
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Although we have long held concern for the impact of hazardous materials on the public, the terrorist attack of September 11 and subsequent attacks require a heightened response. The weaponization of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear ("CBRN") materials demands an accounting of these high-risk materials, particularly as they accumulate at seemingly innocent locations. Tracking CBRN materials is an important step in anticipating and preventing their misuse and thereby thwarting terrorist activity.
We currently have the capability for sophisticated materials management that connects people, places, processes, and products in a manner critical to security. The federal and local governments should work to put in service high-risk material tracking systems that provide the basis for powerful, instantaneous decision making. The government control centers can observe the global position of hazardous materials provided by producers and users in all our allied nations. In less accessible locations, the information could be collected through satellite technology.
Such a hazardous materials management system should: provide for data collection and for authorization at customs operations and border controls; use sophisticated bar code and embedded chip data transmitting devices; employ handheld capabilities to manage field operations and material logistics; have multi-language capability and global reach; integrate with e-solutions and Defense Department Enterprise Resource Planning systems; and make use of data mining and knowledge management principles.
Our Nation should immediately move to identify and track the movement or accumulation of CBRN materials. We must monitor CBRN materials at all global locations, including where they are produced, transported, used, staged and/or stored. And we must track, consolidate and analyze the CBRN material movements as the basis for a legitimate solution to the threats posed to Americans and our citizens abroad.
At the same time that we use technology to better protect Americans, we must make certain that our technological infrastructure is protected from attack. To that end, critical infrastructure should undergo automated electronic testing of their internal and external network assets on a frequent and recurring basis. This testing should include written or electronic reports detailing the methods of testing used and the results of all tests performed, so that trend-line analysis of network security posture can be conducted.
The Policy on Critical Infrastructure Protection: Presidential Decision Directive 63 ("PDD-63") provided a starting point for addressing cyber risks against our Nation. This directive identified the critical sectors of our economy and assigned lead agencies to coordinate sector cyber security efforts. This directive presents the vision that "the United States will take all necessary measures to eliminate swiftly any significant vulnerability to both physical and cyber attacks on our critical infrastructures, including especially our cyber systems." ...
We must make use of every tool at our disposal in our fight against terrorism. We must take advantage of American ingenuity and our technological supremacy as we work to rid the world of terrorism. In addition, it is critical that we protect our critical technological infrastructure from those who would use our technology against us.
Orrin Hatch is a U.S. Senator (R-Utah). The above column has been adapted from a speech Sen. Hatch delivered on the floor of the Senate, December 20, 2001. To contact him, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
