WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. economy faces the threat of a "virtual Katrina" attack that could paralyze the Internet, a top expert warned Tuesday.
"A 'virtual Katrina' is possible and it is a profound kind of thing that we must find a solution for," retired Adm. Bill Owens, now CEO of Nortel, told a Capitol Hill gathering entitled "Recent Developments in Cybersecurity Technology and Policy."
"I am frightened as hell about the issue of cyber-security," Owens said. "... We are in a dangerous world." He said the issue was taken far more seriously in China, India and South Korea than in the United States.
Andy Purdy, acting director of the National Cybersecurity Division of the Department of Homeland Security said the Bush administration recognized the scale and nature of the danger.
"We recognize the issues of cybersecurity. We are energized about the issue," Purdy said.
"We have two fundamental priorities" in meeting the challenge, he said. "First, building a National Cyber Response System" and second, working in partnership with the private sector to enhance security and develop more effective cyber response coordination, he said.
