Public-Private Cybersecurity Coordination Still Lacking
August 16, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Committee’s Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science & Technology Subcommittee, and Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Chairwoman of the Committee’s Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, announced the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on cybersecurity and the government’s cooperation with the private sector.
The report, entitled: "Critical Infrastructure Protection: Key Private and Public Cyber Expectations Need to Be Consistently Addressed", finds that despite new efforts, information sharing between the public and private sectors is lacking and could lead to disastrous consequences. GAO found that, for example, the public sector is not sharing proper threat assessments and alerts while the private sector is often unwilling to share proprietary information.
Chairman Thompson released the following statement with the report:
“This report shows that in our Nation’s cybersecurity efforts, the public and private sectors are not always on the same page and information sharing is not at its best. Information sharing is a crucial tool in combating the cyber threat and must be enhanced. Given the growing nature of the threat, DHS and the private sector must commit to cooperative efforts to ensure the safety of our nation’s cyber infrastructure and security of the critical functions it provides.”
Congresswoman Clarke released the following statement:
"There is no doubt that robust public-private coordination and information sharing is the backbone of our national cyber security posture. Like any partnership, private and government stakeholders must continually work to meet mutual and shared expectations through trust, understanding, and constructive communication," stated Rep. Yvette D. Clarke. "This GAO report reveals that although coordination exists, there is more that can be done to ensure both partners are effectively talking with – not past – each other. Public and private stakeholders must do away with unnecessary processes to adequately leverage and integrate their capabilities to protect our nation's critical infrastructure from potential cyber attacks. "
Congresswoman Jackson-Lee added the following statement:
“Public-Private partnerships are an important piece of our Nation’s efforts to secure our critical infrastructure, both physical and cyber. These partnerships rely heavily on building relationships based on trust, and DHS, other Federal agencies, and the private sector are continually improving in this area. While no system is perfect, we should continually strive to improve public-private information sharing, and also make our networks more intrinsically secure and resilient. Zero-day attacks occur without warning, and we can’t share information that we don’t have.”
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FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978
