The National Program The National Program to address protection of critical infrastructures falls under the general purview of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection.(see below). Details concerning the Commission and related activities are presented below, along with links to the relevant web sites: The President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP) is the first national effort to address the vulnerabilities created in the new information age. The Commission, established in July, 1996, by Presidential Executive Order 13010, was charged with formulating a comprehensive national strategy for protecting critical infrastructures from physical and "cyber" threats. Executive Order 13010, which created the PCCIP, was signed by President Clinton on July 15, 1996. EO 13010 defined critical infrastructures to include telecommunications, electrical power systems, gas and oil storage and transportation, banking and finance, transportation, water supply systems, emergency services (including medical, police, fire, and rescue), and continuity of government. The Executive Order recognized that many of these critical infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector, making it "essential that the government and private sector work together to develop a strategy for protecting them and assuring their continued operation." Presidential Decision Directive 63, issued in May 22, 1998, provided further elaboration of the Clinton Administration's policy on Critical Infrastructure Protection. The paper points out that many of the nation's critical infrastructures have historically been physically and logically separate systems that had little inter dependence. As a result of advances in information technology and the necessity of improved efficiency, however, these infrastructures have become increasingly automated and interlinked. The Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security is a forum for cross-sector and public-private dialog on reducing vulnerabilities, mitigating risks, identifying strategic objectives, and sharing sound information security practices. The PCIS supports the information security, protection, and assurance interests of the critical infrastructures of the United States as defined in Presidential Decision Directive-63 (PDD-63) and the October 16, 2001 Executive Order on Critical Infrastructure Protection. The mission of the PCIS is to "coordinate cross-sector initiatives and complement government and industry efforts to promote the assurance of reliable provision of critical infrastructure services in the face of emerging risks to economic and national security."