Lawmakers Plan Cybersecurity Agendas
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman and ranking member Susan Collins will hold a hearing in late April to examine the 60-day cybersecurity review ordered by President Obama. The audit, which is slated to conclude Friday, is being led by Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair. After the hearing, Lieberman "will consider his legislative options," a spokeswoman said Wednesday. A number of bills intended to help secure U.S. computer networks, the power grid and other critical infrastructure are expected from committees that share jurisdiction over the issue. House and Senate committees covering commerce, homeland security, intelligence, judiciary and government reform have all introduced legislation in the past.
"The cyber threat to our nation's computer systems is real, and action to secure our cyber infrastructure is long overdue," Collins said in a statement. She is concerned that more than a year has gone by since the Bush administration announced its multi-billion dollar cybersecurity initiative and the Homeland Security Department still lacks the authority to set and enforce policies across the federal government. In last year's authorization bill, Lieberman and Collins outlined their vision for cybersecurity that would establish a National Cyber Security Center to coordinate efforts to protect government networks, strengthen DHS's ability to hire experts, and establish a private sector board to advise the agency on cybersecurity policy.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson is focused on high-tech threats to the electrical system. "Our electric system is critical to our way of life, and we cannot afford to leave it vulnerable to attack," he said in a statement. "Our oversight indicates there is a significant gap in current regulation to effectively secure this infrastructure. I intend to introduce legislation that will address these limitations." Experts at the Center for Democracy and Technology briefed reporters on the path forward for cybersecurity policy at a Wednesday briefing. Read this story CongressDaily's PM Edition for more details.
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