ISTAC Minutes of October 21-22, 1997 Meeting

28 November 1998
Source: Hardcopy from ISTAC

ISTAC

Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee

Minutes of the October 21-22, 1997 ISTAC Meeting

The ISTAC met on October 21-22, 1997 at the Department of Commerce in Washington.

The Open Session was held from 9:00 AM to Noon on October 21, 1997.

The topics covered were as follows:

-- Margaret Cahill described a joint DOC-USN program titled Best Manufacturing Practice.
-- Trusted Information Systems gave the TAC an extensive briefing on key recovery methods and the approach TIS is taking to meet the US Governments key recovery initiative.
-- Mark Roch reported on the subcommittee effort to address how the TAC and DOC could improve communications. The subcommittee completed an in-depth survey and reported its findings as well as recommendations. The DOC was receptive to the ideas and Mark will continue to work with the DOC and provide them with a specific proposal.
-- Elections were held for the ISTAC Chairman and Vice Chairman. The results were Norman Cowder was elected Chairman and Don Ames was elected Vice Chairman.

The ISTAC met in closed session from 1:00 to 5:00 on October 21 and from 9:00 to 3:30 on October22, 1997.

The following items were discussed

-- Foreign Nationals. Mr. Bernie Kritzer updated the TAC on case processing. While the number of cases processed shows a significant improvement, the problem is the conditions being imposed. The seventy of the imposed conditions has the effect of making the licenses useless. Mr. Kritzer offered to set up a meeting of the interagency group to which some of the TAC members could present their specific company information and plead their cases. In addition to this, individual companies are encouraged to use all available means to pursue bringing this issue to the appropriate government official.
-- James Ramsbotham discussed a technical paper that he has drafted on High Performance Computing and since the ISTAC has plans to also develop a paper on this subject, he has offered to make his research available for the ISTAC to use.

The ISTAC established the following tentative meeting schedule for the upcoming year;

February 19-20, 1998
May 12-13, 1998
August 4-5, 1998
October 27-28, 1998

-- Mr. Roger Majak joined the TAC meeting and introduced Mr. Bill Skidmore as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for BXA. Mr. Majak then fielded questions and addressed the following topics:

NEW INITIATIVE, a presidential commission has addressed the subject of infrastructure security and the vulnerability of the cybersystem to attack. The report will be out soon and he encourages the TAC members to review the report and to comment.
E.O. 12981 ( The interagency process for Export Licensing) The process is one year old and now is the time to review and comment. Comments are due before year end.
A Federal Register notice is imminent requesting a definition of the famous "specially designed" phrase that is used in the COCOM and WASSENAAR regs.
DOC is conducting internal review of its policy on export controls to India.
The Wassenaar Plenary is in December 1997. [December 9-10, Vienna]
The Wassenaar list review is in May 1998.
DOC is trying to include the previously agreed to CTP level of 1350 into the current "Wassenaar Reg." that is reported to be at OMB and should be available in a few weeks.
Eileene Albanese reported on the DOC effort to implement an Electronic License Application. The effort was warmly received and loudly applauded by the TAC.

Norman D. Cowder, ISTAC Chairman

[Signature]

      BUREAU OF EXPORT ADMINISTRATION
            INFORMATION SYSTEMS
       TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

            October 21-22, 1997

                Attendance

Norman Cowder                 consultant
Jack Edwards                  Northern Telecom
Donald Ames                   Digital Equipment Corporation
Constantine Anifantis         Hewlett-Packard Company
David Beecham                 Lucent Technologies
Henry Brandt                  IBM Corporation
Satyabrata Chakrabarti        Lucent Technologies
John Dame                     Motorola, Inc.
Tim DiVincenzo                IBM Corporation
Robert Fagaly                 Tristan Technologies
David Hoger                   Intel Corporation
David Lindsay                 Hitachi Data Systems
Gerald Matthews               NCR Corporation
Mark Roch                     Roch Technical Services
Ross Tow'e                    Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Ballard Troy                  DOC
Bernie Kritzer                DOC
Joseph Young                  DOC
William Sargent               DOC
John Young                    DOC
Cheryl Opacinch               DOD
Marion McCord                 DOD
Norman Jorstad                IDA
Emil Paroulek                 IDA
Jim Ramsbotham                IDA
Landgrave Smith               IDA
Samuel Gilston                Washington Tariff & Trade Letter
David Carman                  Trusted Information Systems
Kenneth Mendelson             Trusted Information Systems
Lynn McNulty                  RSA Data Security
Gary Yerkey                   Bureau of National Affairs
Toni Paytas                   Thomsen & Burke, LLP
Valerie Ploumpis              French & Company