U.S. Vulnerable to Cyber Attack Panel Reports
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WASHINGTON — A report concluding that the nation is vulnerable to electronic warfare was delivered to the White House Monday by a presidential commission.
The classified findings and recommendations of the Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection say the danger of computer attacks that could shut down communications and power grids is real and requires early action.
“Today, the right command sent over the Internet to a power generating station’s control computer could be just as effective as a backpack full of explosives and the perpetrator would be harder to identify and apprehend,” the panel wrote in its executive summary to the report.
The report recommends stepping up research and establishing a nationwide program to educate people on the scope of the problem.
“While a catastrophic cyber attack has not occurred, we have enough isolated incidents to know that the potential for disaster is real and the time to act is now,” said commission Chairman Robert T. Marsh.
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