Growing Vulnerability of the Public Switched Networks: Implications for National Security Emergency Preparedness

摘要

The report finds that the United States' society is becoming more vulnerable than ever to serious economic and social disruption because it is growing more dependent upon the smooth functioning of an extensive highly complex infrastructure of information and telecommunications networks. Although no crisis in this regard is impending, the report cites fundamental forces that, on balance, may make the networks of the future more, rather than less, vulnerable. The forces are deregulation, technology, competition, and customer demand. Deregulation permits many more service providers than formerly involved. Technology encourages concentration of transmission circuits and switching modes. Competition concentrates on advantage to the firm over provisions of the social benefits of emergency preparedness. Customer demand encourages a proliferation of services and architectures with consequent difficulties of interoperability.