For Immediate Release
November 1, 2013
For more information, contact:
Samantha Slater, Samantha.slater@mail.house.gov (Israel)
Allison Getty, Allison.getty@mail.house.gov (Ruppersberger)
Today, Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and Steve Israel (D-NY) called on the U.S. Senate to immediately pass legislation to address the severe cyber threat facing our country. Other countries have been exploiting our cyber networks, which has resulted in the loss of at least $400 billion in trade secrets and intellectual property. About 80% of cyber networks in the U.S. are controlled by the private sector, so an effective response to the problem requires a partnership between the public and private sectors.
The House has responded to the cyber threat by passing the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) this past spring, which would allow private entities and the federal government the increased ability to share critical cyber threat data, ultimately better securing our networks from cyber attacks. CISPA has built in privacy protections and rigorous oversight. You cannot truly have privacy without security, or security without privacy. CISPA would effectively prevent cyber attacks while protecting Americans’ privacy. Until the Senate acts, our cyber networks remain open to exploitation.
Cyber attacks on our electricity grids, water supplies, computer and cell-phone networks and other infrastructure are becoming increasingly more common. Between 2009 and 2011, there has been a 17-fold increase in computer attacks on American infrastructure, initiated by criminal gangs, hackers and other nations. Additionally, a 2012 GAO analysis found that significant cybersecurity events increased 680 percent over a five year period, from 5,503 instances in 2006 to 42,887 instances in 2011. And in a testimony last spring, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said cyber is the number one transnational threat facing our country.
Rep. Israel said, “Over the past few years, the threat of cyber attacks has grown exponentially. As we’ve heard from numerous experts, including our Director of National Intelligence, we must act to better protect our infrastructure and systems. That’s why Rep. Ruppersberger and I are calling on the Senate to follow suit with the House and pass cyber legislation immediately so we can make sure we are as best protected as possible.”
Rep. Ruppersberger said, “We cannot afford to wait any longer to shore up our defenses against cyber attacks. Our banks are being hit, the energy industry is being hit, our government networks are being hit. Our enemies recognize that America’s Achilles heel is our cyber network, so we must act now to secure them.”
Last February, President Obama issued an Executive Order on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. The Executive Order was a good first step, but we can see by the number and severity of attacks that have occurred since that it is not enough. The Executive Order does not allow for classified data sharing, does not provide liability protection for businesses, and it focuses mainly on critical infrastructure. This begs the need for CISPA. We need the Senate to take the baton and finish the job.
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