Executive Order 13231

In October 2001, President Bush signed Executive Order 13231 establishing the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board to coordinate cyber-related federal efforts and programs associated with protecting our nation’s critical infrastructures. Executive Order 13231 tasked the board with recommending policies and coordinating programs for protecting CIP-related information systems. The Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security chaired the board.

The executive order also established 10 standing committees to support the board’s work on a wide range of critical information. According to EO 13231, the board’s responsibilities were to recommend policies and coordinate programs for protecting information systems for critical infrastructures, including emergency preparedness communications and the physical assets that support such systems. The Special Advisor reported to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and to the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and coordinated with the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy on issues relating to private-sector systems and economic effects and with the Director of OMB on issues relating to budgets and the security of federal computer systems.

Executive Order 13231 emphasized the importance of CIP and the ISACs, but neither order identified additional requirements for agencies to protect their critical infrastructures or suggested additional activities for the ISACs.