(Fair Use and Educational Purposes Only)

Another "Bump In The Road".

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Tuesday September 21 2:56 PM ET

Pentagon Planners Mull Y2K Sneak Attack

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Year 2000 computer glitch could open the door to a sneak attack on the United States, especially if many automated systems crash, the Defense Department said in a contingency-planning memo obtained Tuesday.

To deal with such a threat, the Pentagon is working out worldwide staffing and emergency procedures to cope with vulnerabilities that could be caused by computer mix-ups, according to the memo from the Joint Chiefs of Staff dated Sept. 10.

The document, sent to U.S. commanders worldwide, spelled out five alert levels to streamline the Defense Department's response.

The highest, ``Y2K Posture Level One,'' would reply to ''widespread'' systems failures sparked by the century date change. It assumes that civilian authorities would seek military help to cope with disruptions.

In such a case, ``deliberate information operations attacks and opportunistic engagements by hostile forces are possible,'' it said.

``Information operations attacks'' refers to computer-based efforts to knock out critical electronic infrastructure such as financial networks or military data banks.

``Opportunistic engagements'' means surprise attacks timed to cash in on any Y2K-related confusion in the United States, the world's most technologically dependent nation.

Under such a Y2K-alert level, ``strict'' caps on communications throughout the Defense Department might be imposed, presumably for fear of playing into the hands of a foe seeking to take advantage of Y2K-related disruptions, the document said.

The memo from the Joint Chiefs assigned the five unified regional war-fighting commands and military services the task of preparing troops, equipment and technical support personnel for five graduated Y2K-related potential threat levels.

The military would adjust its year-end and early January operations on the basis of those Y2K ``vulnerability'' assessments, the document said. It said the alert level would be declared, as normal, by Defense Secretary William Cohen.

If a threshold of perceived vulnerability is crossed because of systems failures, Cohen ``will declare a Y2K posture level and the department will respond by adjusting readiness postures accordingly.''

``Recognizing the uniqueness of each Department of Defense organization, you should develop, promulgate and implement the corresponding Y2K readiness postures that best prepare your organization to cope with most probable Y2K consequences,'' the memo told commanders, service chiefs and Pentagon agency heads.

Such preparations were a normal part of military contingency planning not unlike the five levels of readiness for a hurricane, said a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jim Brooks.

``Preparing for Y2K is much like we would do for any potential threat out there,'' he said.

Many military units have been conducting ``tabletop'' exercises to get ready for the Y2K glitch, which may scramble systems that have not been reprogrammed to recognize the century date change in 101 days.

Such drills, partly to determine where to base equipment such as electric generators and emergency medical supplies, ''have already taken place and they are taking place,'' Brooks said.

John Hamre, the deputy defense secretary in charge of Y2K at the Pentagon, is ``particularly interested in your assessment of the need to preposition'' personnel and equipment to cope with any Y2K problems, the memo said.

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-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 22, 1999

Answers

Yep, surprise! Happy Y2K.

Anybody here see Y2K Newswire's promise of a PBS Y2K-Blow-The-Lid program this week?

FBI Explosive Y2K Outting

Scroll on down to the middle of the page, check it out.

The Cull Scythe about to Swing ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.

Why mass evacuations and where would they put all these people?I don't understand this,not the way they are talking about it.

-- maggie (aaa@aaa.com), September 22, 1999.

I find the wording of this story IMPORTANT. Forgive me for reposting it: Link< /a>

The highest, ``Y2K Posture Level One,'' would reply to ''widespread'' systems failures sparked by the century date change. It assumes that civilian authorities would seek military help to cope with disruptions.

In such a case, ``deliberate information operations attacks and opportunistic engagements by hostile forces are possible,'' it said.

[Note.. if there are widespread systems failures (due to 2-digit date programming) that would knock the military into Y2K Posture Level One in advance of any cyberterrorism because opportunistic engagements by hostile forces are possible.]

``Information operations attacks'' refers to computer-based efforts to knock out critical electronic infrastructure such as financial networks or military data banks.

``Opportunistic engagements'' means surprise attacks timed to cash in on any Y2K-related confusion in the United States, the world's most technologically dependent nation.

Under such a Y2K-alert level, ``strict'' caps on communications throughout the Defense Department might be imposed, presumably for fear of playing into the hands of a foe seeking to take advantage of Y2K-related disruptions, the document said.

The memo from the Joint Chiefs assigned the five unified regional war-fighting commands and military services the task of preparing troops, equipment and technical support personnel for five graduated Y2K-related potential threat levels.

The military would adjust its year-end and early January operations on the basis of those Y2K ``vulnerability'' assessments, the document said. It said the alert level would be declared, as normal, by Defense Secretary William Cohen.

If a threshold of perceived vulnerability is crossed because of systems failures, Cohen ``will declare a Y2K posture level and the department will respond by adjusting readiness postures accordingly.''

[How.. if at all does this reference to ``strict'' caps on communications (within the military) relate to the new $40 million "communications center" (bunker) that will MANAGE communications over the rollover?]

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 23, 1999.