[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 30, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10127-S10128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH

  The resolution (S. Res. 697) supporting the goals and ideals of 
National Cyber Security Awareness Month, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 697

       Whereas the use of the Internet in the United States, to 
     communicate, conduct business, or generate commerce that 
     benefits the overall United States economy, is ubiquitous;
       Whereas more than 216,000,000 people use the Internet in 
     the United States, 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 nearly 100 percent of public schools in the United 
     States have Internet access to enhance 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 that age group, 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 has attracted millions of teenagers, providing 
     access to a range of valuable services, making it all the 
     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 cyber security is a critical part of the United 
     States overall homeland security;
       Whereas the United States critical infrastructures and 
     economy rely on the secure and reliable operation of 
     information networks to support the United States financial 
     services, energy, telecommunications, transportation, health 
     care, and emergency response systems;
       Whereas cyber attacks have been attempted against the 
     United States and the economy of the United States, and the 
     mission of the Department of Homeland Security includes 
     securing the homeland against cyber terrorism and other 
     attacks;
       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 may disable entire systems;
       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, and the National Science Foundation, is essential 
     to securing the cyber infrastructure of the United States;
       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 consumers face significant financial and personal 
     privacy losses due to personally identifiable information 
     being more exposed to theft and fraud than ever before;
       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 National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, 
     published in February 2003, recommends a comprehensive 
     national awareness program to empower all people in the 
     United States, including businesses, the general workforce, 
     and the general population, to secure their own parts of 
     cyberspace; and
       Whereas the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction 
     with the National

[[Page S10128]]

     Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information 
     Sharing and Analysis Center, has designated October 2008 as 
     the fifth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month 
     which serves to educate the people of the United States about 
     the importance of computer security: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Cyber 
     Security Awareness Month;
       (2) congratulates the National Cyber Security Division of 
     the Department of Homeland Security, the National Cyber 
     Security Alliance, the Multi-State Information Sharing and 
     Analysis Center, and other organizations working to improve 
     cyber security in the United States on the fifth anniversary 
     of the National Cyber Security Month during October 2008; and
       (3) continues to work with Federal agencies, national 
     organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to 
     encourage the development and implementation of voluntary 
     standards, practices, and technologies in order to enhance 
     the state of computer security in the United States.

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