President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection

PCCIP Boston Public Meeting

This page presents documents relating to the 6 June 1997 Public Meeting of the PCCIP in Boston, Massachusetts. The following items are available:

• A post-meeting press release

• Photographs from the public meeting

• Transcript of the public meeting

Post-Meeting Press Release

PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION CONDUCTS PUBLIC MEETING

Community Leaders Assure America's Future

Boston -- Business leaders and local officials testified at a public meeting at the Boston City Hall conducted by President Clinton's recently designated President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP).

Mayor Thomas Menino hosted the event and welcomed the participants saying, "Advances in technology have enabled this country to progress in ways we never thought possible. But, with that technology comes the responsibility to use it responsibility to use it wisely and protect our nation from those who would use it for destructive purposes."

"Critical infrastructures are America's life support system," said Chairman Robert T. "Tom" Marsh, outlining the need for the Commission. "These systems rely on new technologies to increase efficiency -- but with increased risk."

Testifying at the event was Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans and Superintendent James Claiborne, Marine Safety Officer Captain Greiner, Dr. David Cyganski of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Armen Der Marderosian of GTE, among others.

The Commission was created to examine eight infrastructures crucial to the nation's security and explore their vulnerabilities to physical and cyber threats. Infrastructures considered crucial are telecommunications, transportation, electrical power, oil and gas delivery and storage, banking and finance, water supply systems, emergency services, such as medical and police and the continuity of government services.

Marsh said these systems are vulnerable to disruption through both physical and cyber attacks. "Attacks have the potential to put our economy, public safety and military readiness at risk in new and potentially far reaching ways," said Marsh. "These attacks impact everything from an individual's privacy to an industry's ability to compete. Everyone is affected by America's infrastructures and everyone needs to take part in assuring their future."

"I applaud the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection for raising the nation's awareness of this issue and rallying everyone's support to ensure a safe future," said Mayor Menino.

After gathering information from corporate leaders and conducting a series of public meetings across the country, the Commission will make recommendations to President Clinton on national policy that will best assure the safety and protection of the nation's critical infrastructures.

Photographs from the Boston Public Meeting

Transcript of the Boston Public Meeting

The PCCIP is pleased to be able to make available a transcript of its Boston Public Meeting; this transcript is a record of the testimony that the Commissioners heard on that day. You may download an electronic copy of the 66-page transcript for browsing or printing on your own computer. (Adobe Acrobat 3.0 format; file approximately 180 kilobytes in size)

Technical Note: This transcript requires Version 3.0 (or later) of the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you may download from the Adobe Systems, Inc. Web site. This software is available for a wide variety of computer platforms and is distributed free of charge.