Under intense lobbying by industry groups, a White House panel studying ways to protect America's high-tech backbone has dropped several security ideas and turned others into topics for discussion rather than government mandates, according to the latest version of the plan. . . .
Under intense lobbying by industry groups, a White House panel studying ways to protect America's high-tech backbone has dropped several security ideas and turned others into topics for discussion rather than government mandates, according to the latest version of the plan.

The ideas that have been dropped include requiring companies to pay money into a fund to improve national computer security and restricting use of emerging wireless networks until their security is approved, according to the draft obtained by The Associated Press.

"We're just identifying the stuff we already know to be a problem, and saying it's a problem," said Russ Cooper of network security firm TruSecure Corp. who was briefed on the plan. "I thought there was going to be some meat, and there's not."

The cybersecurity panel headed by President Bush's computer security adviser, Richard Clarke, is expected to release its recommendations Wednesday. Clarke adviser Andy Purdy said Monday the panel has decided to put its ideas out for public comment for two months before sending it to the president.

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