Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Information Technology Subcommittee Chairman Will Hurd (R-TX) Statement
Not only as the head of the Subcommittee but as a former intelligence officer whos been through background investigations and whose information probably resides with OPM Im concerned.
Todays hearing is just another example of the undeniable fact that America is under constant attack. Its not bombs dropping or missiles launching it is the constant stream of cyber-weapons aimed at our data. From private sector innovations to military secrets our enemies are attempting to rob this country on a daily basis. And unfortunately they are succeeding.
The worst of these cyberattacks are not coming from the caves of Afghanistan or Syria but from air-conditioned office buildings in China Iran and Russia. Far from battlefields these hackers work with impunity knowing that their actions have no consequences.
This is not only a question of how we can protect our networks and data but of how we define the appropriate responses for digital and digital attacks. This is one of the questions I have been asking for years and Ive continued to ask in my role as Chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee.
Its no secret that federal agencies need to improve their cybersecurity posture. We have years and years of reports highlighting the vulnerabilities at federal agencies from legacy systems to poor FISMA compliance. And while there have been improvements they have not kept pace with the nature of the threats we are facing.
But until agency leadership takes control of these basic cybersecurity measuresthings like strong authentication network monitoring encrypting data and segmentationwe will always be playing catch-up against our highly-sophisticated and well-resourced adversaries.
I welcome the witnesses here today and look forward to their testimony.
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Information Technology Subcommittee Chairman Will Hurd (R-TX) Statement
Not only as the head of the Subcommittee but as a former intelligence officer whos been through background investigations and whose information probably resides with OPM Im concerned.
Todays hearing is just another example of the undeniable fact that America is under constant attack. Its not bombs dropping or missiles launching it is the constant stream of cyber-weapons aimed at our data. From private sector innovations to military secrets our enemies are attempting to rob this country on a daily basis. And unfortunately they are succeeding.
The worst of these cyberattacks are not coming from the caves of Afghanistan or Syria but from air-conditioned office buildings in China Iran and Russia. Far from battlefields these hackers work with impunity knowing that their actions have no consequences.
This is not only a question of how we can protect our networks and data but of how we define the appropriate responses for digital and digital attacks. This is one of the questions I have been asking for years and Ive continued to ask in my role as Chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee.
Its no secret that federal agencies need to improve their cybersecurity posture. We have years and years of reports highlighting the vulnerabilities at federal agencies from legacy systems to poor FISMA compliance. And while there have been improvements they have not kept pace with the nature of the threats we are facing.
But until agency leadership takes control of these basic cybersecurity measuresthings like strong authentication network monitoring encrypting data and segmentationwe will always be playing catch-up against our highly-sophisticated and well-resourced adversaries.
I welcome the witnesses here today and look forward to their testimony.
