THE COMPUTER VIRUS ERADICATION ACT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 25, 2014
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: July 26, 1989
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25
: CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5 OCA 3075-89
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25:
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25: CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5 STA-1'
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Conlidential
Memorandum For the Record
From:
Subject:
Date:
The Computer Virus Eradication Act
26 July 1989
IC FEE_
OCA
25X1
1. On 20 July 1989 a four person panel testified before the House Subcommittee on
Telecommunications and Finance in a hearing to examine the vulnerability of national
telecommunications networks to computer viruses. The subcommittee was chaired by Rep.
Edward Markey (D-MA), and the witness list consisted of representation from the General
Accounting Office (GAO), The Computer Software and Services Industry Association (ADAPSO),
EDUCOM, and the John von Neuman Supercomputer Center. The witness list is attached.
2. This hearing (1) described the Internet virus incident (2) examined issues relating to
Internet security and vulnerabilities, and (3) discussed factors affecting the prosecution of
computer virus crimes. It was patterned after a report by the General Accounting Office on the
same subject, dated June 1989, but not released to the general public until the time of this
hearing. The purpose of the hearing was to form the basis for draft HR55 entitled "The
Computer Virus Eradication Act."
3. There was little conflict among the panel members during the hearing. They all agreed
that the Internet incident demonstrated that serious vulnerabilities exist in public networks and
there is no sure-fire technical protection mechanism for stopping similar problems from occurring
in the future.
4. Security vs. usability issues relating to networks were discussed. The panel members
concurred that increasing the development and use of security controls like encryption, user
authentication, and auditing procedures was a good idea and needed desperately to be done better
on many networks including Internet, but would not be the whole solution to the problem. They
also believed that limiting access to only trusted users would significantly help the problem;
however, it was clearly not appropriate for all situations. Internet is one of these situation where
decreasing access is not the solution.
ential
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25: CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25: CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/04/25: CIA-RDP92M00732R000700070018-5