Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member
Committee on Energy and Commerce

SUBCOMMITTEE ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE INTERNET HEARING ENTITLED “CYBERSECURITY: PROTECTING AMERICA’S
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMY,
AND CONSUMERS”

September 13, 2006

Mr. Chairman, I commend you for making cybersecurity a priority for this Subcommittee. Cyber attacks against our Nation’s information infrastructure grow in sophistication and number every day. A failure by the Government to plan for physical and cyber damage to the Internet could be devastating for our national security and economic stability.

Cyber criminals are attacking online operations and infrastructure thousands of times a day with increasingly targeted and malicious tactics. Moving beyond the notorious widescale attacks of the past, these perpetrators seem bent on more calculated invasions designed to access and misuse corporate, personal, or government information.

With a significant and growing level of our Nation’s economic activity occurring over networked connections, a major physical or cyber breakdown of the Internet would wreak havoc on our economy. But a loss of the public’s trust in the digital economy would likewise ripple across every industry and severely damage the Nation’s overall economic health.

Given the range of threats and vulnerabilities, this hearing provides an opportunity to understand on a broad level what is being done to secure cyberspace. How well prepared are the Government and private sector to respond to and recover from a major Internet disruption and other cyber threats?

The private sector is at the forefront in the defense against cyber attacks, and it is vital that corporate management appropriately invest in cyber security. Do corporations, large and small, have the necessary commitment, information and tools to protect against cyber intrusions and restore systems that have been compromised? The information technology sector is deploying tools to help businesses and consumers manage cyber risks, but they need help.

The Federal Government must take a leading role in working with the private sector to secure cyberspace. What steps has the Government, particularly the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), taken to guard against and recover from a major cyber incident, whether from cyber warfare or from a natural disaster? Is cyber security receiving the proper level of attention within the Department, or is there more that can and should be done?

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that the role of the government in planning for Internet recovery remains unclear. According to GAO, years after its formation, DHS is falling short on its efforts to secure cyberspace. GAO’s recent report on Internet recovery provides a list of items upon which the Department should focus its attention.

Curiously, more than a year after announcing the creation of an Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and Telecommunications, that DHS position, along with others, remains vacant. This noticeable and lengthy absence of cyber security leadership conveys a lack of appreciation for our Nation’s real and mounting cyber threats.
The American people should not have to wait for a massive cyber disaster to bring the necessary level of government attention to cyber risks. Companies on the front lines are clamoring for more leadership from the Government in securing cyberspace. Perhaps this is because the private sector knows full well that the costs of inaction in preparing for and recovering from a cyber disaster could be catastrophic to our national and economic security.

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(Contact: Jodi Seth, 202-225-3641)