WASHINGTON (15 December 2006) — Citing a need to foster and assist policy initiatives related to critical infrastructure security needs, IEEE-USA will launch a Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee (CIPC) in January. IEEE-USA plans to work on these issues with government and private homeland security organizations.

The committee will look at all aspects of critical infrastructure protection, including cyber security, electric power, communications, computer networks, government services, public health, water, food supplies, energy, transportation, emergency services and banking and finance, among other key assets. IEEE-USA’s focus will be on protecting the information-technology underpinnings of the infrastructure.

“The integrity of these systems is critically important to the recovery of communities after catastrophic events such as natural disasters, system failures or terrorist attacks,” IEEE-USA CIPC Chair Dr. Luis Kun said. “The optimal functioning of our society depends on our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

The major goals of protecting critical infrastructure are prevention, minimization and recovery. Ideally, preventing disruption to the infrastructure is the first level of defense. If the traumas cannot be prevented, minimizing their harmful effects is the next level. Finally, providing the means and methods for the systems to recover from these events would reduce disruption to people’s lives and minimize economic impact.

For more information, contact Dr. Kun (l.kun@ieee.org) or Debbie Rudolph (d.rudolph@ieee.org).

IEEE-USA advances the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 220,000 engineers, scientists and allied professionals who are U.S. members of the IEEE. IEEE-USA is part of the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional society with 360,000 members in 150 countries. See www.ieeeusa.org.

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