[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5521-S5522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 National Computer Forensics Institute

  Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam President, over the last few decades, large 
parts of our daily lives--like work, education, and even personal 
finance--moved online. The emergence of computers, the internet, and 
mobile devices have created a more interconnected world more than ever. 
But this being connected can also be used by bad actors.
  The entire world of information is at our fingertips, but also, so is 
cyber crime. Because of this, those charged with keeping us safe have 
the increasingly difficult task of not only protecting us from the 
rising physical crime scene in our communities across the country but 
also from cyber crime that is impossible to see and much harder to 
detect.
  Law enforcement officials in Alabama, my State, recognized the 
problem early on. In 2006--before we all had smart phones in our 
pockets--the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services and the Alabama 
District Attorneys

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Association saw the need for a more coordinated effort to train law 
enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges in digital evidence.
  They saw how the digital landscape was and still is constantly 
evolving and how those in law enforcement needed to keep up. But they 
also recognized how traditionally the largest departments with the 
biggest budgets were the only ones who could afford the training 
necessary to help their officers fight cyber and electronic crime.
  So they outlined a plan to bring the training to more of our law 
enforcement officials and formed a unique and important partnership 
with the United States Secret Service to create a center for forensics 
education for State and law enforcement officials.
  Thanks to their innovative thinking, the National Computer Forensics 
Institute--also known as NCFI--opened in 2008, under the roof provided 
by the city of Hoover, AL.
  The Institute had somewhat modest beginnings--a $4 million budget and 
only 264 students. But thanks to continued support from Congress here 
on the Hill, the Computer Forensics Institute now taps into a $13 
million annual budget to train more than 4,000 students from across the 
country every year.
  To date, more than 19,000 State and local officers, prosecutors, and 
judges representing all 50 States have been trained at this institute 
right in the heart of Alabama. Local and State officials come from all 
over the country to train in Alabama and then take their newly acquired 
expertise back to their communities all over.
  Graduates have reported utilizing their training in more than 578,000 
digital forensic exams. It is clear this model is working. NCIF 
graduates are applying their skills to protect their communities all 
across the country.
  The National Computer Forensics Institute focuses on teaching 
officials how to investigate cyber and electronic crime, always 
accounting--always accounting--for emerging technologies and difficult 
digital capabilities. But they also teach officials how to conduct 
forensic examinations of computers and mobile devices--a critical 
component of almost every violent crime investigation. Thus, the 
Institute gives officers and officials the tools they need to protect 
Americans from both cyber crime and violent crime every day.
  The pandemic and our related shift to more virtual work and schooling 
sent cyber crime through the roof, and it continues to rise every day. 
In fact, according to McAfee, a computer security software company, the 
financial losses due to cyber crime ballooned to almost $1 trillion in 
2020, and this number could hit $10.5 trillion by 2025 according to 
digital research group Cybersecurity Ventures.
  But, as we know all too well, the risk isn't just financial; cyber 
criminals can hack pipelines and other key infrastructure systems that 
are crucial to our daily lives and that pertain to our national 
security.
  Officials trained at the NCFI are a part of our frontline defense 
against these attacks. The frontline--our local police officers, 
district attorneys, and State officials--knows the people they serve 
best. I want those protecting my home and my State trained to identify 
and combat the latest threats, and I am sure you do as well.
  In 2019, when cyber criminals threatened the people of Oldsmar, FL, 
by attempting to poison the city's water supply, graduates from the 
NCFI utilized their training to secure the city's infrastructure and 
compile valuable evidence to keep citizens safe.
  In the fall of 2021, a week and a half before schools were to open in 
Louisiana, leaders were forced to declare a state of emergency due to 
ransomware attacks on dozens of parish school districts throughout the 
State. Thankfully, because of their time spent in Hoover, AL, Louisiana 
State Police investigators, trained and equipped at the National 
Computer Forensics Institute, responded to the attack. The 
investigators dismantled the malware and assisted in rebuilding 54 
school networks. All schools within the State started on time, and no 
ransom was paid.
  Earlier this year, after a madman terrorized shoppers at a grocery 
store in Buffalo, NY, NCFI-trained graduates were able to act quickly 
and support the police in their response. They used what they learned 
to conduct a forensic exam of a GoPro camera and a cell phone used by 
the shooter. That crucial video evidence is currently being used in the 
prosecution to ensure justice and to protect the victims and their 
families.
  All Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and they 
deserve to feel safe online while working, learning, banking--whatever 
they need to do with electronic devices.
  Brave men and women in law enforcement across the country are willing 
and able to protect Americans from all crime, including cyber crime, 
but they need the tools and resources to continue to do so effectively.
  While some in Congress and the current administration have worked to 
shrink the size and strength of our law enforcement, I am unapologetic 
in my support for the men and women in blue. We must continue to 
provide the specialized resources that all of them need to do their 
jobs.
  That is why I joined a group of colleagues from both sides of the 
aisle to introduce the National Computer Forensics Institute 
Reauthorization Act. This legislation, which passed the Senate by 
unanimous consent this week, would build on the work started in 2017 to 
strategically combat modern crime and set the National Computer 
Forensics Institute up for continued success. It also builds on that 
success by expanding the program's reach beyond just State and local 
officials to Federal law enforcement employees. As we know, those 
defending our national security at the national level should also have 
access to the latest digital and cyber crime training.
  The National Computer Forensics Institute is an excellent example of 
a State's ingenuity and foresight--a group of individuals identifying a 
gap that needed to be filled and providing a service with national 
benefits. The success of the institute represents the impact State 
leaders and Congress can have on the entire country when we work 
together to support innovative and pragmatic solutions to our biggest 
problems. Alabama is proud of the National Computer Forensics 
Institute, and we are proud to provide cutting-edge training to many of 
America's brave law enforcement officials.
  As Americans across the country face a rise in both violence and 
cyber crime, I applaud my colleagues for joining me to ensure our first 
responders have the necessary expertise and training by reauthorizing 
the National Computer Forensics Institute.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.