Congressional testimony today on anti-terrorism efforts, excerpted from AP:
U.S. Still Vulnerable to Terrorism
Filed at 4:51 p.m. EST
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Despite progress in combating terrorism, the United States remains vulnerable to bombing attacks, both at home and at its far-flung outposts, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Attorney General Janet Reno told Congress on Thursday.
Only about 10 percent of the planned work has been performed on upgrading U.S. embassies since last August's twin bombings in Africa, Albright told a Senate hearing on anti-terrorism.
''I think from our perspective we don't need any more legislative authority, but we do need ... money,'' she testified.
Reno said there has been much progress in foiling would-be terrorist plots and in improving coordination among agencies. Still, she said, ''we're not going to be able to prevent them all. There is no way we can do that. And we have got to be prepared.''
The attorney general said that of particular concern was ''the threat of a cyberattack.''
''Just now in this past year, we have been able to see instances in which 17- and 18-year-old hackers can intrude into sensitive computers across this country. If they can do that, our cybersystem, our cyberinfrastructure, is at risk,'' she said.
Reno said that government agencies are working together ''with personnel and technology that can match the wits of the smartest criminals and the smartest terrorist.'' But she said states and the private sector need to do more to fight this new brand of terrorism.
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I would be surprised if this anti-cyberattack work didn't involve authentication technology. |
