As geopolitical tensions mount and war with Iraq looms ever closer, the government expects the risk of cyber-attacks to increase dramatically. Terrorists may use the Internet to attack America’s infrastructure by disrupting e-mail systems, emergency services, telecom networks, and other online systems worldwide. Such attacks could have serious repercussions on the economy. Captured computers and documents make clear that al-Qaida operatives have already used the Internet to do “virtual reconnaissance” on U.S. infrastructure, not only on companies but on dams and power plants and the software that runs them. — How vulnerable is the nation’s critical infrastructure, including network infrastructure, financial systems, and supervisory-control and data-acquisition (SCADA) systems that utility companies use to remotely monitor and control their operations? — How are the government and the private sector working together to improve cyber-security and protect the United States infrastructure, and what can organizations do to help? — Could some recent activity, such as denial-of-service attacks against the Internet’s domain-name servers and the Slammer worm, be evidence of terrorists testing the nation’s IT infrastructure for a possible future attack? — How can organizations monitor information security events more closely by leveraging existing technology infrastructure? Full Story