Whereas the use of the Internet in the United States, to
communicate, conduct business, or generate commerce that benefits our overall
economy, is ubiquitous;
Whereas according to the FBI in 2009, cyber criminals have
stolen over $100,000,000 from United States banks;
Whereas more than 240,000,000 adults use the Internet in
the United States, nearly 70 percent of whom connect through broadband
connections, to communicate with family and friends, manage finances and pay
bills, access educational opportunities, shop at home, participate in online
entertainment and games, and stay informed of news and current events;
Whereas the nearly 27,000,000 United States small
businesses, which represent more than 99 percent of all United States employers
and employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce, increasingly rely on
the Internet to manage their businesses, expand their customer reach, and
enhance the management of their supply chain;
Whereas consumers face significant financial and personal
privacy losses due to personally identifiable information being more exposed to
theft and fraud than ever before;
Whereas Internet users and information infrastructure
owners and operators face an increasing threat of malicious crime and fraud
attacks through viruses, worms, Trojans, and unwanted programs such as spyware,
adware, hacking tools, and password stealers, that are frequent and fast in
propagation, are costly to repair, and disable entire systems;
Whereas nearly 100 percent of public schools in the United
States have Internet access to enhance our children's education, with a
significant percentage of instructional rooms connected to the Internet to
enhance children's education by providing access to educational online content
and encouraging self-initiative to discover research resources;
Whereas almost 9 in 10 teenagers between the ages of 12
and 17, or approximately 87 percent of all youth, use the Internet;
Whereas the number of children who connect to the Internet
at school continues to rise, and teaching children of all ages to become good
cyber citizens through safe, secure, and ethical online behaviors and practices
is essential to protect their computer systems and potentially their physical
safety;
Whereas the growth and popularity of social networking
websites have attracted millions of teenagers, providing access to a range of
valuable services, making it even more important to teach teenaged users how to
avoid potential threats like cyber bullies, predators, and identity thieves
they may come across while using such services;
Whereas President Obama has made cyber security a critical
part of the Nation's overall national security stating, It is now clear
this cyber threat is one [of] the most serious economic and national security
challenges we face as a nation
;
Whereas in the first half of 2009, there were more than
40,000 cyber attacks against the U.S. Department of Defense costing more than
$100,000,000 to clean up;
Whereas in 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense suffered a
significant compromise of its both classified and unclassified military
computer networks systems;
Whereas the threat established a digital beachhead from
which data could have been transferred to servers under foreign control;
Whereas the Nation's critical infrastructures and economy
rely on the secure and reliable operation of information networks to support
the Nation's financial services, energy, telecommunications, transportation,
health care, and emergency response systems;
Whereas cyber attacks have been attempted against the
Nation and the United States economy, and the Department of Homeland Security's
mission includes securing the homeland against cyber terrorism and other
attacks;
Whereas coordination between the numerous Federal agencies
involved in cyber security efforts, including the Department of Homeland
Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National
Science Foundation, and others is essential to securing the Nation's critical
cyber infrastructure;
Whereas millions of records containing personally
identifiable information have been lost, stolen, or breached, threatening the
security and financial well-being of United States citizens;
Whereas national organizations, policymakers, government
agencies, private sector companies, nonprofit institutions, schools, academic
organizations, consumers, and the media recognize the need to increase
awareness of computer security and the need for enhanced computer security in
the United States;
Whereas the Cyberspace Policy Review, published by the
White House in May 2009, recommends that the Federal Government initiate a
national public awareness and education campaign to promote cyber
security;
Whereas the National Cyber Security Alliance's mission is
to increase awareness of cyber security practices and technologies to home
users, students, teachers, and small businesses through educational activities,
online resources and checklists, and Public Service Announcements; and
Whereas the National Cyber Security Alliance, the
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and the Department of
Homeland Security have designated October as National Cyber Security Awareness
Month to provide an opportunity to educate United States citizens about cyber
security: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)supports the goals and ideals of National
Cyber Security Awareness Month;
(2)congratulates the
National Cyber Security Division, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center on the fifth anniversary of
the National Cyber Security Awareness Month; and
(3)intends to work
with Federal agencies, national organizations, businesses, and educational
institutions to encourage the development and implementation of existing and
future cyber security consensus standards, practices, and technologies in order
to enhance the state of cyber security in the United States.