In 1997, a commission was established to examine the dangers posed to the U.S.'s critical infrastructures and to recommend a course of action. The following year, the Clinton Administration responded to the recommendations and unveiled the National Plan for Information Systems Protection, also known as Presidential Decision Directive 63 (PDD-63), to meet the demands of national security interests in cyberspace. President Clinton sought to establish an initial operational capability by December 2000 and full operational capability by May 2003. PDD-63 produced the first overall plan that the Federal government would take in securing and defending America's cyberspace from cyberwar. Three years have passed since PDD-63's introduction, the December 2000 deadline has come and gone, but is our National Information Infrastructure secure? Does PDD-63 adequately address the threat of cyberwar? This paper will examine the threats and vulnerabilities posed by information warfare, particularly from the cyberwarfare perspective, and whether PDD-63 adequately addresses them.
