Pearl Harbor is used as a touchstone of cataclysmic events for a reason. Not only did it have entail enormous loss, damages and casualties, it also serves as a crucial moment in history. If one looks at December 7, 1941 or . . .
Pearl Harbor is used as a touchstone of cataclysmic events for a reason. Not only did it have entail enormous loss, damages and casualties, it also serves as a crucial moment in history. If one looks at December 7, 1941 or September 11, 2001, it is clear that a digital event of the same magnitude would be major socio-political event. If such an event occurred, we wouldn't need a government mouthpiece to tell us about it. Even with the seemingly endless litany of Windows-based worms and viruses plaguing the Internet, nothing has come close to that level of electronic decimation, although Clarke claims is happening on a daily basis. Clarke's use of the term "Digital Pearl Harbor" is purely sensationalist rhetoric. Using it as flippantly and regularly as he does is not only inaccurate, it is also irresponsible and negligent.

In the effort to protect homes and business against the perceived threats of cyber-terrorism, White House Cyber-Security Czar, Richard Clarke is engaging in a series of meetings with security industry representatives to discuss the nature of information security, particularly after September 11.

Unfortunately, when watching these presentations and testimonies, one starts to wonder how well Clarke truly understands the reality of the world's cyber-security situation - which is a frightening prospect given that he's the top cyber-cop in the nation and has President Bush's ear on the subject.

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