Here is a good one

Bennett warns China may attack America through Y2K-weakened computers

9/10/99

Author: Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- A new threat from the year 2000 computer problem may be bigger than the myriad other potential glitches worrying the world, according to Sen. Bob Bennett.

Bennett, R-Utah, said China has indicated it might attack America by targeting its all-too-vulnerable computers rather than its strong military, the Deseret News reported.

"The Chinese have now said publicly in a paper that was published just a week ago that they are considering shutting down the United States' computers," said Bennett, who fears terrorists may follow suit.

Bennett, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, gave that assessment Wednesday in a speech to the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

He has spent two years investigating the Y2K problem and warns that attacks -- from hackers, industrial spies, terrorists and enemy nations -- are "going on right now."

Bennett said enemies took notice when the Y2K problem showed how a minor computer glitch could wreak havoc with power, water, transportation, finance and other critical areas. That problem comes because older programs allow only two digits for a year, so the "00" when 2000 arrives would be interpreted as 1900.

Attacks could take the form of computer viruses that operators may not notice as they struggle with other Y2K issues, said Bennett.

Bennett also said America has made far more progress in solving other Y2K glitches than he ever dreamed possible. Many experts say most problems within the United States will be solvable within 72 hours.

But Bennett warned that there will still be a series of failures, though he couldn't say where they would occur.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the ranking Democrat on the committee, noted that foreign nations are in much worse shape than America in addressing the problem, with the biggest concerns in China, Japan, Russia and Italy.

-- dragoneyez (dragoneyez@mindspring.com), September 10, 1999

Answers

"That problem comes because older programs allow only two digits for a year, so the "00" when 2000 arrives would be interpreted as 1900."

Wow. 112 days to go & they're STILL explaining what y2k is.

Maybe some folks shouldn't be urged to prepare. Anyone who doesn't know by now what y2k is can't really be considered an asset to our collective gene pool.

-- two digits (instead@of.four), September 10, 1999.

Yeah you will be hard pressed to find an article that does not contain the canned description of Y2K. Funny that they only mention programs and not hard coded chips. I am so tired of hearing that every thing is OK when they have no clue as to what could happen. I do know this much. I am the network admin of a small business (one of thoes who supposedly are lacking in remediation) and as far as I can tell we are y2k ready. I have run the entire network (workstation and servers) by changing the BIOS date on every machine to roll over and see what happened. I did this all at once not just one at a time. No machines crashed because of hardware but I still cannot confirm any data problems.

-- dragoneyez (dragoneyez@mindspring.com), September 10, 1999.

Are these the same communist chinese granted 'most favored nation trading status' by congress and sponsored by bill clinton for entry into the WTO (World Trade Orginiation)?

-- Charles R. (chuck_roast@trans.net), September 10, 1999.

Yup, made that remark on C-span on Wed. They may have another rerun. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

Does it make sense that we are saying with one face that there will be no Y2K problems and claiming that the Chinese are going to cyber-attack us while our computers are Y2crippled with the other?

With our current administration, it does if you are planning to blame any Y2K disruptions that might occur on "Enemies of the State". After all, then you not only dodge responsibility for being caught with your pants down....er....sleeping at the wheel, but you can justify new police powers for the state to prevent such "attacks" from succeeding again. And in that hypothetical scenario, it makes sense to have a 40 million dollar Y2Kommand center, because you turn it over to the FBI internet police force.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), September 10, 1999.

Depends on what the dot gov definition of "Y2K" is. Or that which "is" related, but doesn't have to be defined as such. For government purposes.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

Quick lesson in journalism (from my days as a photojournalist in the early 1980s) - ALWAYS include a brief description of the problem/history, regardless. If you ever read any news stories that last more than a day, you'll see this (e.g., look at all the stories on the Impeachment, on Waco, etc.). Practically everyone gets the two digit software problem, now if only the reporters (different than journalists) would start mentioning such things as embedded chips!

-- James (jpeet@u.washington.edu), September 10, 1999.

The US Gov will blame everyone else,the Chinese will use this as propaganda at home to say to their own people"look what the evil US has done to us with their flawed technology!" as will Russia If and when we get the net"back on line" Billy and Co. will have sweeping new powers and Net Special Forces to "stamp out" the alleged perpertrators on the net.... If we get the net back next year don't count on it being the same free think-tank it is now....

-- mango (sammy1@indiasite.com), September 11, 1999.