Friday, February 10, 2012

House Cyber Leaders Urge Swift Action

September 14, 2009

House Cybersecurity Caucus co-chairs Jim Langevin, D-R.I., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, urged President Obama last week to swiftly appoint a permanent cybersecurity coordinator within the White House. In a Thursday letter, the pair said the absence of such an official "impedes the ability of federal agencies to move forward in updating and strengthening their aging cyber policies," while complicating efforts to collaborate with private institutions that also play a critical role.

The appointment of a cyber czar was among a number of recommendations offered by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Commission on Cybersecurity, which Langevin and McCaul co-chaired, and the administration's own comprehensive review of the government's cybersecurity infrastructure. Both reports also said the creation of a national security strategy for cyberspace is needed and the lawmakers lauded Obama for getting the ball rolling on that front.

"Foreign aggressors and criminals have been able to penetrate inadequately protected U.S. computer networks," the letter stated. "Those attacks have provided access to vast quantities of valuable information, and while our most sensitive U.S. military communications remains safe, economic competitors and potential military opponents have not hesitated to exploit opportunities presented by our lack of robust cybersecurity protections." The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has scheduled a Monday hearing on the topic.

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Juliana Gruenwald

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Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


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Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.