A digital 9/11 might be under way already

[Commentary] The impact of the 2001 terrorist attacks has been nearly universal, affecting everything from individual lives to global politics in ways that will be recounted, examined and analyzed everywhere as we approach the 10th anniversary of the attacks. In terms of IT, its impact can be summed up in three words: security, security and security.

In the past decade, IT systems have become more integral than ever to military and homeland security operations. The Defense Department has moved steadily toward integrated, networked operations, reaching from command centers to networked warfighters on the battlefield. Homeland security efforts — whether related to borders, travel, shipping or cross-jurisdictional data sharing — run on information systems. And security underpins every aspect of them.