Full Release Below

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Alan S. Inouye
March 18, 2005
inouye@nitrd.gov

(703) 292-4540

PRESIDENT’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE RELEASES NEW REPORT
CYBER SECURITY: A CRISIS OF PRIORITIZATION

Vital to the Nation’s security and everyday life, the information technology (IT) infrastructure of the United States is highly vulnerable to disruptive domestic and international attacks, the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) argues in a new report.  While existing technologies can address some IT security vulnerabilities, fundamentally new approaches are needed to address the more serious structural weaknesses of the IT infrastructure.

In Cyber Security: A Crisis of Prioritization, PITAC presents four key findings and recommendations on how the Federal government can foster new architectures and technologies to secure the Nation’s IT infrastructure.  PITAC urges the Government to significantly increase support for fundamental research in civilian cyber security in 10 priority areas; intensify Federal efforts to promote the recruitment and retention of cyber security researchers and students at research universities; increase support for the rapid transfer of Federally developed cyber security technologies to the private sector; and strengthen the coordination of Federal cyber security R&D activities.

To request a copy of this report, please complete the form at http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/, send an e-mail to nco@nitrd.gov, or call the National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development at (703) 292-4873.  Cyber Security: A Crisis of Prioritization can also be downloaded as a PDF file by accessing the link at http://www.nitrd.gov/pubs/.

About PITAC
The President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) is appointed by the President to provide independent expert advice on maintaining America’s preeminence in advanced information technology. PITAC members are IT leaders in industry and academia representing the research, education, and library communities, network providers, and critical industries, with expertise relevant to critical elements of the national IT infrastructure such as high-performance computing, large-scale networking, and high-assurance software and systems design. The Committee’s studies help guide the Administration’s efforts to accelerate the development and adoption of information technologies vital for American prosperity in the 21st century.