FBI testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee (March 16, 1999).
. . . PDD-63 creates an unprecedented set of intra-governmental as well as public-private cooperative structures for the vital mission of critical infrastructure protection. Let me begin by reviewing the roles assigned to the NIPC and the other key players in infrastructure protection.
PDD-63 authorized the expansion of the FBI's former organization, the Computer Investigations and Infrastructure Threat Assessment Center, into a full-scale National Infrastructure Protection Center.
The PDD states that the NIPC "[s]hall serve as a national critical infrastructure threat assessment, warning, vulnerability, and law enforcement investigation and response entity." It further states that the mission of the NIPC "will include providing timely warnings of intentional threats, comprehensive analyses and law enforcement investigation and response."
Thus, the PDD places the NIPC at the core of the government's warning, threat investigation, and response system for threats to, or attacks on, the nation's critical infrastructures. The NIPC is the local point for gathering information on threats to the infrastructures as well as "facilitating and coordinating the federal government's response to an incident." The NIPC is also responsible for "mitigating attacks, investigating threats and monitoring reconstitution efforts." . . . .
This role clearly requires the involvement and expertise of many agencies other than the FBI. This is why the NIPC, though housed at the FBI, is an interagency center that brings together personnel from all the relevant agencies. Thus, the Deputy Director is a civilian detailee from the Department of Defense; the Chief of our Analysis and Warning Section is a senior CIA analyst; and managers, investigators, analysts, and computer scientists within the Center come from across the defense, intelligence, and law enforcement communities. In addition, we are seeking infrastructure and technical experts from each of the infrastructure sectors to enhance our ability to understand and coordinate with the owners and operators of the infrastructures.
Currently, the NIPC has representatives from multiple government agencies, including FBI, DOD, NSA, DOE, and CIA as well as federal and state law enforcement, including the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Service, and, until recently, the Oregon State Police. Private sector representatives are also being sought. . . .
The NIPC is also developing its threat assessment, analytical, and warning capabilities. NIPC assessments form the basis for a variety of products, including alerts and advisories, an Infrastructure Protection Digest, a Y2K Report, a weekly update, CyberNotes, and topical electronic reports. These products are designed for tiered distribution to both government and private sector entities consistent
with applicable law through the NIPC Watch and Warning Unit. . . .
Response is central to the NIPC mission. To facilitate our ability to investigate and respond to attacks, the FBI has created a National Infrastructure Protection and Computer Intrusion Program in the 56 FBI field offices across the country. . . .
The program to protect and respond to physical attacks on the US critical infrastructure are handled by the FBI's counter-terrorism program. The NIPC supports this initiative through its management of the Key Asset Program (KAP). A key asset can be defined as an organization, group of organizations, system, or group of systems, or physical plant the loss of which would have widespread and dire economic or social impact on a national, regional, or local basis. . . .
The NIPC also serves as the U.S. government lead agency for the Emergency Law Enforcement Services Sector. As Sector Liaison for law enforcement, the NIPC and a Sector Coordinator representing the law enforcement sector are formulating a plan to reduce vulnerabilities of state and local law enforcement to attack and developing methods and procedures to share information within the sector. . . .
fbi.gov
White Paper - The Clinton Administration's Policy on Critical Infrastructure Protection: Presidential Decision Directive 63
ciao.gov
Cheryl
|
