Threats of terrorism concern IT professionals, and almost half of those surveyed indicated that a major cyber attack on the U.S. government could be imminent

Anxieties regarding possible assaults are legitimate. Speaking before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Dale L. Watson, Executive Assistant Director, Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discussed the emerging threat of "cyberterrorism," which he defined as "...the use of cyber tools to shut down critical national infrastructures (such as energy, transportation, or government operations) for the purpose of coercing or intimidating a government or civilian population." However, renewed awareness of the potential for destructive cyber attacks has led to increased efforts by federal agencies, such as the partnership between the The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) to form an Interstate Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). The alliance was formed to disseminate intelligence quickly, preventing unauthorized, and destructive, infiltrations. Despite stepped up security measures, an Ipsos Public Affairs survey of 395 IT professionals, conducted on behalf of the Business Software Alliance during June 2002, revealed a lack of confidence about the government's ability to defend itself against a cyber attack, and concerns have increased since 9/11. While 49 percent feel an attack is likely, 55 percent say the risk of a major cyber attack on the U.S. has increased since 9/11. The figure jumps to 59 percent among the IT pros that are responsible for their company's computer and Internet security. Almost three-quarters (72 percent) say there is a gap between the threat of a major cyber attack and the government's ability to defend against it, with the figure increasing to 84 percent among the IT pros that are most knowledgeable about security.