[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H3755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CYBER ATTACKS TO AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a critical 
national security challenge and what I believe is an imminent threat to 
the safety of our country. That is cyber attacks.
  Computers control everything from our banking systems to our electric 
grid, our military networks to our businesses and government functions. 
Never in the history of the world have so many people had so much 
access to ideas, knowledge and skills. However, increased access also 
opens up additional vulnerabilities that allow our adversaries to 
potentially cause catastrophic economic and physical harm to our 
country. Nation-states, terrorists and other actors who seek to harm 
our Nation understand that the future of warfare is through cyber 
attack.
  In recent years, American military leaders have noted an unfortunate 
increase in cyber attacks. The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, James Cartwright, told Congress in March 2007 that America is 
under widespread attack right now in cyberspace.
  But securing our networks is not simply the responsibility of the 
U.S. military. Mitigating vulnerabilities in America's critical 
infrastructure networks involves the work of a wide variety of 
government agencies and private-sector entities. Everyone, both in the 
public and private sectors, plays a role in securing cyberspace, and we 
must all work together to confront these threats.
  Our Nation has some significant challenges ahead of us in the cyber 
security world. Right now, the United States is under attack, and quite 
frankly, we are losing the battle. I believe that it is essential that 
we act swiftly and boldly to respond to this threat.
  I recently cochaired the CSIS Commission on Cyber Security for the 
44th Presidency. Our goal was to develop recommendations for a 
comprehensive strategy to improve cyber security in Federal systems and 
in critical infrastructure. This commission was made up of renowned 
cyber security experts from across the country, both in and out of 
government.
  In December 2008, after hundreds of hours of briefings, of working 
group meetings and discussions, we released our final report proposing 
a number of recommendations for the incoming administration to 
consider. Among the most critical and timely of those recommendations 
is the creation of a comprehensive national security strategy for 
cyberspace. ``Comprehensive'' means using all of the tools of U.S. 
power in a coordinated fashion: international engagement and diplomacy, 
military strategy and action, economic policy tools, and the work of 
the intelligence and law enforcement communities.
  This strategy should begin with a public statement by the President 
that the cyber infrastructure of the United States is a vital asset for 
national security and the economy and that we will protect it by using 
all instruments of our national power. The commission also recommends 
that the Nation's cyber leadership be housed in the White House, not in 
any single agency.
  We used the response to nuclear proliferation as a model for how to 
approach cyber security. Just as no single agency is in charge of 
nonproliferation, we recognize that the same is true for cyber policy.
  To coordinate these efforts, we proposed creating a new office for 
cyberspace in the executive office of the President. This office would 
combine existing entities and would also work with the National 
Security Council in managing the many aspects of securing our national 
networks while protecting privacy and civil liberties. It is my hope 
that the leadership of this new office will be an assistant reporting 
directly to the President.
  I am very pleased with President Obama's appointment of Melissa 
Hathaway to conduct a 60-day interagency review of the Federal cyber 
security mission. I think she is very knowledgeable of the issues 
surrounding the CNCI, and I have spoken with her regularly, encouraging 
her to review our critical infrastructure's defensive posture.
  We have so many agencies that share in overseeing critical 
infrastructure protection that many issues fall through the cracks. 
This is an area I believe that we must improve on, and I look forward 
to working on legislation to implement the recommendations of the 
commission to ensure that our Nation is protected in cyberspace, and I 
certainly look forward to working with the administration on this 
important issue.

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