Cybersecurity...
In his recent Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, the Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair began his analysis of threats against the U.S. by highlighting the threats against America’s economy, way of life, and government in cyberspace.
From 2003 to 2004, I served as the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Select Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Science, and Research and Development. My work on the subcommittee culminated in a 2004 report on cybersecurity gaps and two pieces of legislation intended to strengthen the government's ability to defend our computer networks. I believe that the same cybersecurity problems we uncovered in 2004 still plague the United States today.
We have witnessed recent, bold cyberattacks against Google, large financial institutions, the Pentagon, congressional computer systems, and major weapons systems like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Operating in cyberspace must remain a top priority for the United States, and so must defending our computer networks and other technological assets.
The federal government should work in partnership with the private sector to do a better job protecting its cybersecurity without creating regulations that would strangle businesses and complicate life for most Americans. Partnerships between businesses and the government, not heavy-handed laws and rules, is the key to keeping America’s cyberspace secure for our people, businesses, and government.
- To read the Director of National Intelligence’s 2010 Threat Assessment, click here
- To read my December 2004 report on “Cybersecurity for the Homeland”, click here
- To read the text of H.R. 5069, the “Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Enhancement Act of 2004,” click here.
- To read the text of H.R. 5068, the “Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2004,” click here
- To read the President’s recent “Cyberspace Policy Review,” click here.
|
|
Cybersecurity
