Gilmore is the chairman of a panel that was appointed by Congress in 1998 to assess the nations ability to respond to terrorist attacks. The panel has made a series of reports to Congress and the President and is slated to submit another within a few days.
Gilmore outlined the panels Internet security findings at a hearing that was cut short when an Anthrax scare forced a postponement. He had time to deliver his testimony, but was not able to answer any questions from lawmakers.
"Whether the threat manifests itself in the form of a physical attack against computer hardware and real property that houses critical portions of the nations Internet backbone, or in the form of a cyberattack against computer software and the Internet controls, Americas cyberspace needs protection," Gilmore said in written testimony to the House Science Committee.
"In light of the experience of September 11, let me say that our recommendations remain valid," he wrote. "What has changed is the urgency with which they should be implemented."
Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R- N.Y., intends to ask Gilmore to return to complete his testimony at a later date, Science Committee spokeswoman Heidi Tringe said on Wednesday.
In his testimony, Gilmore recommended that the government create an interagency entity to be responsible for coordinating federal Internet security efforts -- something that President Bush did through an executive order on Tuesday -- as well as an independent advisory body to evaluate Internet defense programs and proposals.
Gilmore also recommended that the Y2K offices created by individual government agencies to address the once-feared millennium computer bug be kept online and morphed into agency-specific security offices.
Finally, Gilmore recommended the creation of a cyber-court to address the threat posed by electronic attackers and the creation of a not-for-profit body that can represent the needs of public and private stakeholders in the security arena.
David McGuire, Newsbytes
