DATE=2/11/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - INTERNET SECURITY (L)
NUMBER=2-259069
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton will meet with leaders of the
high-tech industry next week to discuss enhancing Internet
security following this week's attacks on major web sites.
Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from the White House.
Text: Mr. Clinton will convene the White House meeting
Tuesday, bringing together internet executives and key
members of his administration - including National Security
Adviser Sandy Berger, Attorney General Janet Reno and
Commerce Secretary William Daley.
White House spokesman Joe Lockhart says the session will
consider both short-term and long-term efforts to improve
Internet security.
The meeting comes in response to a series of attacks this
week on some of the largest and most popular sites on the
web - including Yahoo, the largest independent web site,
the retailer Buy-dot-com, and the news site CNN-dot-com.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the matter.
In an appearance before reporters Friday, Mr. Clinton said
he is not surprised by the attacks given that so much
commerce and other activity takes place on the Web.
/// CLINTON ACTUALITY ///
This greater openness and speed of the system, and
the importance of it, have necessarily made for
greater vulnerability for people who are just
mischievous and people who have far darker motives.
This is no different from any other development in
human history. If you go back from the beginning of
time, where things of value are stored, people with
bad motives will try to get to those things of value.
/// END ACT ///
The President - whose 2001 budget contains a two billion
dollar plan to protect the Internet from so-called cyber-
hackers - says he does not believe there will be what he
calls `an instantaneous solution' to the problem, but
rather a general improvement in Internet security over
time.
/// CLINTON ACTUALITY ///
This will be an ongoing effort to try to make sure we
get all the benefits of the Internet, all the
benefits of the computer revolution, but we develop
better defenses and better defenders, and I believe
we will do that.
/// END ACT ///
White House spokesman Lockhart says he believes Congress
will back the administration's efforts, although members of
the Republican majority have been known to oppose greater
government oversight of the Web in favor of more self-
policing among Internet companies.
In a series of interviews with major newspapers published
Friday, Mr. Clinton says he has worked hard to assure that
the Internet is not unduly burdened by government
regulation or taxation. But he says it is necessary for an
open system like the Web to have safeguards against
intrusion. (Signed)
NEB/DAT/LTD/JO
11-Feb-2000 15:24 PM EDT (11-Feb-2000 2024 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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