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Preface
Starting with the publication of the report Computers at Risk: Safe Computing in the Information Age in 1991 (National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.), the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) has examined the issue of computer and communications security a number of times, from a number of perspectives. While there has been progress in security, it is a sad commentary on the state of the world that what CSTB wrote more than 10 years ago is still timely and relevant. For those who work in computer security, there is a deep frustration that research and recommendations do not seem to translate easily into deployment and utilization. The events of September 11, 2001, suggest--indeed demand--that we take a renewed look at the security and robustness of our nation's infrastructure. Now, if ever, we see the importance of having critical systems resistant to attack and serviceable in times of crisis. From our telephone system to air traffic control to the Internet, we will be greatly harmed if these systems fail us just when we need them most. The vulnerabilities are not new, only freshly brought into focus. And the approaches that will mitigate these threats are not unknown, only underutilized. So CSTB has taken the approach of drawing on its past work to point out that much of what we need to do is available to us now, if only we choose to act. The staff of the CSTB have assembled this report from the broad base of its existing reports. Herb Lin deserves special thanks for the effort necessary to produce this report quickly.
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