A pandemic also could threaten the Internet and corporate networks in other ways. From a geopolitical perspective, a major influenza outbreak could be perceived by enemies in less-affected regions as leaving the U.S. in "a weakened state," said George Johnson, founder and chief technology officer of The ESP Group LLC, an application services provider in Arlington, Va., that focuses on development of secure systems. That could result in heightened risks of cyber attacks, Johnson warned.

He added that increased numbers of teleworkers may expose networks to attacks as well. "If you're going to ask people to work from their home computer," Johnson said, "how reliable is that?"

After the general session, attendees broke off into groups to discuss specific issues. In one group, there was clear agreement that personal needs would trump business needs, especially in the early stages of a pandemic. But eventually, economic issues would catch up -- for instance, to help meet the need for basic supplies. That might mean someone working in IT at a book publisher could be asked to write or modify applications to help the company use its distribution systems for food and medicine instead of books.

One thorny issue is devising strategies for getting people to limit their Internet use. When restrictions are voluntary, "people will step up to the plate; what's mandatory will be resisted," said Bruce Wortmann, IT manager at NJN Public Television and Radio in Trenton, N.J.

Another message coming out of the forum was that there will be a strong need for cooperation among businesses if a pandemic does occur. That may be a lesson learned from the federal government's failures in quickly responding after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. "By working together, we can make a lot of things happen, and we shouldn't have to rely on the government to make it happen," said Peter Briody, a systems specialist and business continuity coordinator at Cytec Industries Inc. in West Paterson, N.J.