[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
[[Page S5522]]
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.