February 11, 2000
PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART
12:40 P.M. EST
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release February 11, 2000
PRESS BRIEFING BY
JOE LOCKHART
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
12:40 P.M. EST
.............
Q Joe, anything on arrest warrants in the hacking case?
MR. LOCKHART: I've seen the reports and I have to send you to
the FBI on that. I don't have any independent confirmation of that.
.............
Q Joe, can I come back to the question from this morning?
What exactly can the government do in the hacking case? I mean, they're
going to be -- we're going to have that summit on Tuesday, so what can you
guys actually do?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, we're already doing a lot. If you're
looking at one particular case, I think we rely -- and this case, we rely
on the investigative abilities that the FBI provides, and other agencies.
But I think you have to -- when you want to look at the government's role
in this, you have to take a somewhat broader view. Protection of critical
infrastructure has been a priority for the President over the last three or
four years. We have a real investment in that. I think the budget for
critical infrastructure is over $2 billion now.
I think if you look at security, cyber-security, there's almost
$100 million for that alone in this year's budget. And I think what the
President can do -- I think what the President can do is mobilize the
efforts of government, both what we do here as far as protecting federal
assets, but also working with the private sector, which I think has worked
very well under the leadership of Secretary Daley over the last three
years.
As far as how we can help, how the private sector can bring their
expertise to protecting federal assets, that's an ongoing conversation.
The good news here is that we've done a lot of work on this. There is a
lot of effort already been put into it, and when these people sit around
the table on Tuesday, they're not going to have to introduce themselves to
each other. They've been working part of this together over the last few
years, and I think it's one of the reasons that we've been able to see the
kind of explosion in information technology that we've had without a
preponderance of these sorts of incidents that we've seen over the last few
days.
Q But is the federal government's role pretty much just
restricted to protecting infrastructure and, you know, the federal system?
Or is there a role in trying to assist in this private sector as well?
MR. LOCKHART: Oh, I think there is. You know, one of the things
the President talked about is our effort to sort of bring on bright young
people and get them involved so that they're using their talents and
energies for protecting the system rather than breaking into the system.
So I think there are ways -- this goes to the way that I think the
President approaches many of the challenges we face, as far as
public-private partnerships, providing the tools both people and companies
and industries need to succeed, whatever the challenge is.
So we, obviously, have an important role of protecting federal
assets. But I think you'll find agreement in the industry that we've
worked well together on these issues, and will continue to work well
together.
Q Joe, given the incredible speed of technological innovation,
is the government confident that the money you outlined, $100 million for
cyber-security and the $2 billion for critical infrastructure, is really
enough money to give law enforcement the kind of cash and technical
resources that it might need to actually track these --
MR. LOCKHART: Yes, I think there's been a consensus -- and this,
thankfully, has not been an issue where there's been a lot of partisan
battling -- that we have the right balance of investment, both in terms of
what we do with critical infrastructure at the federal level and what we do
with industry. But this is obviously an area that needs constant attention
because things change so quickly.
And I think that's one of the reasons that the President looks
forward to getting together with experts in this field on a regular basis,
which he's done over the last few years, and one of the reasons why
Tuesday's meeting makes sense, because you have a lot of people who have a
lot of real-time information about what's going on that can help not only
in the short-term, but, as far as the federal government's concerned, our
emphasis is on the long-term, providing a long-term solution to this. And
we have investigative authorities that are looking at the situation that
goes on now, as far as the companies that have been impacted.
So I think it's like any public policy process. The actual
exchange of ideas in meetings like this helps to make sure that there's a
check on whether we're doing enough, whether the resources we're putting
into this are going into the right area, whether there's something new
that's happened in the technology that we have to address. So I think this
probably more than any other issue we have, faces constant reassessment
because of the changing --
Q The President is not looking for more money right now?
MR. LOCKHART: Well, we're going to have -- I think he's going to
bring some new ideas to the table on Tuesday that he'll discuss with some
of the leaders. I don't know, I mean, we've just done our budget, so I
wouldn't look for new budget items. But it's within that, and in the
programming of what we do, I think we're always open to the latest and best
advice we get from people who make a living doing this.
.................
Q Joe, just back on the cyber issue for a second. You've had
these critical infrastructure protections in place for a while, you talked
about programs the government has had. Is the private sector going to take
this seriously now?
MR. LOCKHART: I think the private sector is taking it quite
seriously. But I think you've seen from remarks from the companies, there
are some vulnerabilities in the system that they have not worked out an
effective defense to. I think you have to put in perspective what's
happening here as far as the attacks on the system. I think it's, so far
to date, or at least from what I've seen, it's an operation that seeks to
disrupt rather than dismantle or to destroy a system or to find some
financial advantage.
I mean, I don't know much more than you do about this because I
have not talked to the FBI, but I don't think there is any sense that
there's any complacency in the private sector and I think there's an awful
powerful incentive for these companies to protect their customers, their
businesses. And I think, by and large, they do a very effective in that.
And the purpose of getting together is to see where we can share
information and where we can, in an joint effort, do something that helps
protect both the federal assets and critical infrastructure and those in
the private sector because they are very important.
I mean, all you have to do is read the economic report to the
President yesterday to understand how important technology is, e-commerce,
as far as expanding our economy and producing jobs and promoting prosperity
in this country.
Q Do you have a week ahead?
MR. LOCKHART: Got one here, but I think we've got some more
questions.
Q Are you looking at any legislation that would increase the
penalties for cyber-terrorism?
MR. LOCKHART: I don't know that we have anything along that
line, but certainly if the industry, if that is a concern they bring to us,
it's something we take quite seriously. I think there are serious
penalties in place for those who are apprehended and convicted of any kind
of cyber crime, cyber-terrorism. But it would be something that, if the
industry felt that more needed to be done, it is something we would take a
look at.
Q What is the -- of the President's Internet? Does he use the
Internet frequently? And if so, what sites is he hitting up?
MR. LOCKHART: He did some home shopping around Christmastime,
which I think was widely reported. I think he as been the first to discuss
his own limitations in computer literacy. But, actually, I think he has a
firm grasp of the technology and what the government needs to do to both
protect our assets and promote economic growth. I think if you look at the
last seven years, and you look at what the President and the Vice
President, and particularly his leadership, and you talk to people in the
high-tech community, you understand that we've been a partner rather than
an impediment to economic growth. So I think he does have a very keen
understanding of what we can do as a federal government to help promote
economic growth in that sector.
Q Joe, when the President goes on line, do you make sure there
are no secret files on his computer -- there's no John Deutsch factor
there?
MR. LOCKHART: I think I'm comfortable in asserting without any
doubt that he hasn't generated any secret files on that computer.
Q Why would that be? How can you be so sure?
MR. LOCKHART: Because you've got to sit there and type at it to
generate them. (Laughter.)
Q Joe, any more on who is being invited to this meeting?
MR. LOCKHART: Should I go now, because I'm starting to feel like
I'm getting in trouble.
No. I think the invitations were going out tomorrow. I know
there were some reports in the newspaper about people being invited. Those
were inaccurate. I think they may have reflected somebody's idea of who
should be invited as this process goes along here. But we're going to cast
a pretty wide net. I think the invitations are being made today and,
hopefully, by Monday, I can give you a sense of who is able to attend.
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END 1:05 P.M. EST