-Caveat Lector- December 28, 1999 Military Closing Web Sites for Y2K Filed at 7:17 p.m. EST By The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -- Taking last-minute precautions, the Pentagon and the federal personnel agency are shutting down some of their public Internet sites this weekend to keep them safe from computer hackers as the calendar rolls over to 2000. And the Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to mail January benefit checks to more than 2.5 million veterans on Dec. 30, a day early, to avoid potential delays related to the Y2K computer bug, officials disclosed Tuesday. The early mailings ``will mitigate unexpected year 2000 interruptions of benefit payments arising from anything outside our control,'' VA spokesman Terry Jemison said. The Social Security administration announced last week that checks and electronic deposits for 44 million elderly and disabled Americans also would be dispatched for delivery a day early. Y2K-compliant files for electronic Social Security payments will be at banks by Dec. 30 rather than the usual Dec. 31. Checks will be mailed earlier as well. Most people normally would receive Social Security benefits on Jan. 3. While making some last-minute adjustments, the government continued to sound a note of optimism about the country's readiness. The nation's top health official said people are not hoarding drugs so there will not be any shortages of medicine over New Year's. ``Americans have used common sense,'' Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala said, citing a 60-90 day supply for nearly every category of medicine. Federal officials also expressed confidence about 911 calls going through and public safety officials being able to dispatch services. But they advised Americans to keep emergency numbers on hand. ``There was a way to call the police, to call ambulance services, long before 911,'' Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Powell said. Some problems, particularly overseas, may not become evident for weeks. And those that show up Jan. 1 in early time zones may not be a good predictor of what the United States can expect, according to Bruce McConnell, director of the United Nations International Y2K Cooperation Center. Some of the government's emphasis switched from potential computer glitches -- nearly all of these have been fixed, officials insist -- to the threat of cyber attacks. Many military installations around the country will be shutting down their Web sites temporarily as a safeguard against intrusions -- as well as a protection against Year 2000 viruses that might be launched on New Year's Eve. ``Within some defense agencies, they have thought the most prudent action was just to take their sites offline,'' said Pentagon spokesman Adm. Craig Quigley. While the Pentagon intends to keep its central Web site -- www.defenselink.mil -- in operation, Quigley said one site being temporarily blocked is that of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which oversees military pay. ``We're going the extra mile to make sure our people's pay isn't affected,'' Quigley said. Also being taken offline this weekend: the Web site maintained by the Office of Personnel Management, which services the rest of the government payroll. Susan Hansen, a Pentagon spokeswoman who deals with Y2K issues, said officials felt it was important to keep the main ``DefenseLink'' site up because ``that's how we will be transmitting information during the rollover.'' She said special precautions were taken to secure the site. Bases temporarily closing their Web sites include Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. About 30 public sites are maintained at the base, including Web pages for the United States Air Force Museum and the Air Force Institute of Technology. ``We feel they (hackers) may plant some things on servers or e-mail that might go off'' after the New Year begins, said Timothy Conley, deputy director of the 88th Communications Group at Wright-Patterson. He said there is no threat to national security because the public-access sites are separated from secure sites, which will remain operational. The commandant of the Marine Corps., Gen. James L. Jones, canceled weekend travel plans, although aides said the changes were family-related and not prompted by fears of Y2K disruptions. Capt. Pete Mitchell, a spokesman for the corps, said the Marines were taking various steps to make sure there is a ``seamless transition'' to 2000. ``It is a network security issue as much as it is a Y2K issue,'' said Mitchell. ``All the branches are beginning to do things to restrict, to limit the risks of intrusion by decreasing electronic footprints.'' In addition to tracking stations set up by each service, a centralized Pentagon network monitoring system has been set up. As for civilian communications, industry and federal leaders reiterated their caution against people picking up the phone just to see if it is working or dialing 911 just to check it. Too many callers at once could clog the network, meaning some might get a fast busy signal. But that wouldn't necessarily indicate any Y2K-related problems, said the FCC's Powell. ``This is a basic network congestion issue that we see every Mother's Day. This is Mother's Day on Viagra,'' he said. The nation's largest telephone companies have said for months that their networks are ready. But officials say they have more limited information on international calling and smaller, rural U.S. phone companies. www.nytimes.com DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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