GovernmentExecutive.com

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., introduced two bills Monday to curb cyberterrorism. The bills would set aside a total of $400 million for cybersecurity research.

"We live in a world where a terrorist can do as much damage with a keyboard and a modem as with a gun or a bomb," Edwards said.

The first bill, the Cyberterrorism Preparedness Act of 2002, pours $350 million over five years into strengthening the cyber defenses of the federal government and the private sector. The bill would create a consortium dedicated to creating and disseminating information about best security practices. Such practices would be implemented first in the federal government and then nationally.

The second bill, the Cybersecurity Research and Education Act of 2002, would set aside $50 million over four years for Information Assurance Fellowships, which would train computer specialists in cybersecurity. The bill would also create an online university where systems administrators could get the latest security training.

Dorothy Denning, director of the Georgetown Institute for Information Assurance in Washington, said a program designed to create a solid base of empirical research is vital. "These bills are aimed mostly at the future," she said. "The goal early on is to identify a set of best practices and start deploying those in the federal government."

"Part of this is about government networks," said Neal Katyal, a professor at the Yale Law School and former national security adviser to the deputy attorney general under the Clinton administration. But because 90 percent of the nation's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, "another big part of the legislation is about protecting critical infrastructures," Katyal said. The legislation is "an excellent first step toward addressing the problems posed by cyberterrorists and cybercriminals," he said.