[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 104 (Thursday, June 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL ASSANTE

 Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Michael 
Assante, a leader, a visionary, and a patriot who has contributed so 
much to protect our Nation's critical infrastructure and our interests 
around the world.
  Michael Assante began his impressive career as an intelligence 
officer in the U.S. Navy where he learned the intricacies of cyber 
security defenses. After leaving the Navy, Mike became the chief 
information security officer at one of the largest U.S. utilities, 
American Electric Power. Mike continued to work in the private sector 
in the field of cyber security before he joined Idaho National 
Laboratory, INL, as a critical infrastructure protection specialist. At 
INL, Michael Assante assembled a unique team of computer experts, power 
engineers, control systems technicians, grid operators, infrastructure 
designers, law enforcement officials, and U.S. military special forces 
officers to tackle the most challenging cyber threats to critical 
infrastructure. This team has an impressive list of successes and its 
work continues to this day.
  As Mike's accomplishments and recognition grew, he left INL and 
assumed senior positions at the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation, the Council on CyberSecurity, the Center for Internet 
Security, NexDefense, the SANS Institute, and the Center for Strategic 
and International Studies. In all of these capacities, Michael Assante 
brought unique insights and strategies to the effort to protect our 
critical infrastructure from cyberattack. It was during this time that 
Mike became a resource to me and my staff, and he helped us better 
understand the magnitude of the cyber threat to our grid and 
opportunities for engineered solutions to interrupt the kill chain and 
mitigate the threat.
  As a result of more than two decades of dedication, hard work, and 
impact, Michael Assante has a long list of noteworthy publications, 
collaborations, recognitions, and awards, but perhaps his greatest 
legacy is the thousands of professionals he trained to help protect our 
Nation's critical infrastructure.
  Most Americans, including Mike's family and friends, will never know 
how much he did to protect U.S. national security interests. As a 
member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I can tell you 
that he is a giant in his field, and our country is safer because of 
his efforts. We are grateful for his many contributions.

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