Critical Infrastructure Protection

This executive order establishes the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection to study vulnerabilities in systems like telecommunications, power, banking, and emergency services, and creates an interim Infrastructure Protection Task Force within the FBI to coordinate threat response until the Commission completes its work. It mandates public-private collaboration to assess physical and cyber threats and develop a national protection strategy.

Federal Register Open PDF 61 FR 37347

Impact dates

Jan 11, 1998
IPTF terminates no later than 180 days after Commission termination
Jul 15, 1997
Commission, Principals Committee, Steering Committee, and Advisory Committee terminate
Aug 14, 1996
Commission mission objectives statement and detailed schedule due

Key directives

Establish President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection with outside Chair and agency nominees
Create Principals Committee of Cabinet-level officials for review
Create four-member Steering Committee including Commission Chair and EOP employee
Establish 10-member private sector Advisory Committee under FACA
Create Infrastructure Protection Task Force within DOJ/FBI for interim coordination
Commission to produce mission objectives and schedule within 30 days for Steering Committee approval
Commission to assess vulnerabilities, legal/policy issues, and recommend national strategy
All committees terminate 1 year from signing unless extended by President
IPTF terminates no later than 180 days after Commission termination unless extended

Timeline

Immediate

Establishment of Commission, Principals Committee, Steering Committee, and Advisory Committee
Creation of Infrastructure Protection Task Force (IPTF) within Department of Justice/FBI

Near term (90d)

Commission must produce mission objectives statement and detailed schedule within 30 days
Commission begins consultations with private sector and infrastructure owners
IPTF begins coordinating threat detection, warning notices, and training

Long term

Commission to produce comprehensive national policy recommendations and statutory changes
All committees terminate 1 year from order (July 15, 1997) unless extended
IPTF terminates no later than 180 days after Commission termination (January 1998 latest) unless extended

Risks & tensions

Private sector cooperation is voluntary; no enforcement mechanism for data sharing beyond 'to extent permitted by law'
IPTF housed in FBI raises potential tensions with civil liberties given surveillance/coordination functions
Multiple overlapping committees (Principals, Steering, Commission, Advisory, IPTF) create bureaucratic complexity
'To the extent permitted by law' qualifier appears repeatedly, creating legal uncertainty about information sharing scope
Termination clauses suggest temporary institutional focus; sustainability of recommendations uncertain