[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 285 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 285

   Expressing the sense of Congress regarding Internet security and 
                          ``cyberterrorism''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 15, 2000

Mr. Saxton (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Burr of North 
 Carolina, Mr. Cooksey, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. 
 Watts of Oklahoma, Mr. Snyder, Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Talent, Mr. Walden of 
   Oregon, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Barcia, Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. 
 Tiahrt, and Mr. Ewing) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
     to the Committee on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress regarding Internet security and 
                          ``cyberterrorism''.

Whereas computer networks and the Internet are becoming an integral part of our 
        society--in 1992 there were 50 sites on the World Wide Web, there are 
        now over 3.6 million sites;
Whereas computer networks and the Internet have become vital in the 
        dissemination of information between individuals, governmental agencies, 
        and academic institutions;
Whereas computer networks and the Internet are increasingly used for electronic 
        commerce and have the potential to account for a significant share of 
        the United States economy;
Whereas an estimated 1 to 2 million people in the United States used the 
        Internet for some type of commercial transaction in 1995;
Whereas over 4 million people were using electronic commerce in mid-1997, 
        according to the Department of Commerce;
Whereas this number had increased to 10 million users by the end of 1997, 
        according to the Department of Commerce;
Whereas the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce has estimated that 
        United States retail electronic commerce sales for the fourth quarter of 
        1999 (October through December) totalled approximately $5.3 billion;
Whereas a study commissioned by the Department of Commerce estimates that 
        electronic commerce in business-to-business transactions will increase 
        from $131 billion in 1999 to $1.5 trillion by 2003;
Whereas computer networks, electronic mail, and the Internet are increasingly 
        used to manage and operate critical infrastructures such as banking and 
        finance, energy production and distribution, transportation, and 
        national defense;
Whereas computer network and Internet security has become vital to ensure the 
        delivery of goods and services;
Whereas young ``hackers'' are not the only security threat to computer networks 
        and the Internet;
Whereas terrorists groups and criminal syndicates also possess the capability to 
        undermine the security and integrity of computer networks and the 
        Internet;
Whereas the number of nations--including many opposed to United States interests 
        at home and abroad--incorporating ``Information Operations'' as part of 
        their military capability and doctrine is growing;
Whereas the protection of the Nation's critical electronic infrastructures is 
        not solely under the purview of the Government, but private industry 
        also has some measure of responsibility;
Whereas the President's National Plan for Information Systems Protection would 
        help to protect computer networks and the Internet from ``cyber 
        attacks'';
Whereas it is important to fund entities designed to combat ``cyber attacks'', 
        such as the National Infrastructure Protection Center of the Federal 
        Bureau of Investigation, the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office of 
        the Department of Commerce, and other programs within the Department of 
        Defense, the National Security Agency, and the Central Intelligence 
        Agency; and
Whereas the legal framework for the prosecution of ``cyberterrorists'' is not 
        comprehensive and does not reflect the current capabilities for 
        wrongdoing: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) designates cyberterrorism as an emerging threat to the 
        national security of the United States which has the 
        potentiality to cause great harm to the Nation's critical 
        electronic infrastructure; and
            (2) calls for--
                    (A) a partnership between the Federal Government 
                and private industry in combatting the ``cyber 
                menace'';
                    (B) a revised legal framework for the prosecution 
                of ``hackers'' and ``cyberterrorists''; and
                    (C) a new interagency study to be conducted by the 
                Departments of Commerce and Defense, the National 
                Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and 
                the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assess the 
                threat posed by ``cyberterrorists''.
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