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CNN Saturday Morning News
A Virginia Students Dissertation Exposes U.S. Infrastruction Weak Spots
Aired July 26, 2003 - 07:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, everybody, well, it isn't quite the Pelican Brief, but one Virginia student is causing quite a stir with his research project.
Kathleen Koch explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN GORMAN, GRADUATE STUDENT: The crazy spikes shooting off are areas where there's high levels of aggregation or agglomeration of fiber.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fiber optic lines, that is, each as thin as a hair. And 26-year-old Sean Gorman knows where they are, all of them. For his dissertation at Virginia's George Mason University, he mapped them.
GORMAN: The physical database of where fiber optic lines are in the country and also what buildings they connect to and the interconnection facilities that link up these different networks together.
KOCH: Fiber optic lines link not only Internet and phone networks, but power grids and water systems, air traffic control centers, even banks and military facilities.
Professor Laurie Schintler went with Sean to show his work to leaders of those industries.
LAURIE SCHINTLER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY: Almost always with the organizations we're meeting with, the comment comes up, we need to take this away from you, we need to classify it.
KOCH: The Department of Homeland Security told Sean it, too, doesn't want his data published.
GORDON JOHNDROE, HOMELAND SECURITY SPOKESMAN: It's when all of the information is put together into one report that it could be used as a road map for those who might wish to cause us harm.
KOCH: Sean was devastated.
GORMAN: You know, well, you know, all this time I put into my research, is it am I not going to be able to do my dissertation or not? So there's some of the fiber running through the state from one provider of the Internet and there...
KOCH: Sean compiled his data from public sources like this Georgia Web site. But some information has been taken down for security reasons, though Sean believes his work couldn't be replicated. This model he created shows what happens if a vital fiber optic connection fails.
GORMAN: Like Huma (ph) there might be a critical link to connecting a whole bunch of West Coast cities.
KOCH: Some experts insist exposing such vulnerabilities can improve national security.
MICHAEL VAITS, INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY EXPERT: There is a lot of lag between when companies and the government, frankly, realize that there is a problem and when they take action. And there's always a need for something to push them along, to light a fire under them, to get them to take concerted action to protect things.
KOCH (on camera): Utility and financial companies who've seen Sean's work won't talk about it for fear of drawing attention to system weaknesses.
(voice-over): Sean promises his dissertation will deal with the methodology and implications of his research. The sensitive data will remain secret.
GORMAN: It's not for sale.
KOCH (on camera): At any price?
GORMAN: Fortunately, yes.
KOCH (voice-over): Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Infrastruction Weak Spots>
Aired July 26, 2003 - 07:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, everybody, well, it isn't quite the Pelican Brief, but one Virginia student is causing quite a stir with his research project.
Kathleen Koch explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN GORMAN, GRADUATE STUDENT: The crazy spikes shooting off are areas where there's high levels of aggregation or agglomeration of fiber.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fiber optic lines, that is, each as thin as a hair. And 26-year-old Sean Gorman knows where they are, all of them. For his dissertation at Virginia's George Mason University, he mapped them.
GORMAN: The physical database of where fiber optic lines are in the country and also what buildings they connect to and the interconnection facilities that link up these different networks together.
KOCH: Fiber optic lines link not only Internet and phone networks, but power grids and water systems, air traffic control centers, even banks and military facilities.
Professor Laurie Schintler went with Sean to show his work to leaders of those industries.
LAURIE SCHINTLER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY: Almost always with the organizations we're meeting with, the comment comes up, we need to take this away from you, we need to classify it.
KOCH: The Department of Homeland Security told Sean it, too, doesn't want his data published.
GORDON JOHNDROE, HOMELAND SECURITY SPOKESMAN: It's when all of the information is put together into one report that it could be used as a road map for those who might wish to cause us harm.
KOCH: Sean was devastated.
GORMAN: You know, well, you know, all this time I put into my research, is it am I not going to be able to do my dissertation or not? So there's some of the fiber running through the state from one provider of the Internet and there...
KOCH: Sean compiled his data from public sources like this Georgia Web site. But some information has been taken down for security reasons, though Sean believes his work couldn't be replicated. This model he created shows what happens if a vital fiber optic connection fails.
GORMAN: Like Huma (ph) there might be a critical link to connecting a whole bunch of West Coast cities.
KOCH: Some experts insist exposing such vulnerabilities can improve national security.
MICHAEL VAITS, INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY EXPERT: There is a lot of lag between when companies and the government, frankly, realize that there is a problem and when they take action. And there's always a need for something to push them along, to light a fire under them, to get them to take concerted action to protect things.
KOCH (on camera): Utility and financial companies who've seen Sean's work won't talk about it for fear of drawing attention to system weaknesses.
(voice-over): Sean promises his dissertation will deal with the methodology and implications of his research. The sensitive data will remain secret.
GORMAN: It's not for sale.
KOCH (on camera): At any price?
GORMAN: Fortunately, yes.
KOCH (voice-over): Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Infrastruction Weak Spots>
