KEAN, HAMILTON STRESS
NEED FOR CYBER PROTECTION FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
March 12, 2012
Former 9/11 Commission Co-Chairs Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton Monday called
for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect the nation’s most
critical, life-sustaining infrastructure from catastrophic attack.
In addition, CBS’ 60 Minutes broadcast a story on the vulnerability of
the cyber systems running the nation’s critical infrastructure.
In a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell, Kean and Hamilton wrote: “With cyber attacks becoming more
sophisticated and pervasive, it is paramount that the federal government
takes the steps necessary to prepare the nation to prevent and mitigate
the effects of potentially catastrophic cyber attacks on the nation’s
critical infrastructure… Unfortunately, jurisdictional and procedural
objections to considering cyber security legislation are now being
raised. This homeland security issue is too critical for it to succumb
to such conflicts between committees.”
The four Senate co-sponsors of bipartisan cybersecurity legislation –
Senators Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jay
Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. – released the Kean-Hamilton
letter, which follows:
March 5, 2012
The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
The Honorable Mitch
McConnell
Senate Minority
Leader
S-221, The Capitol S-230, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:
We
write to urge the U.S. Senate to take up cyber security legislation in
the near future. Recently, the Director of National Intelligence and the
FBI Director both warned Congress about the advanced nature of the cyber
threat. These warnings should not be ignored.
Much like the situation before the September 11th, 2001, attacks, the
federal government is not adequately organized to deal with a
significant emerging national security threat. With cyber attacks
becoming more sophisticated and pervasive, it is paramount that the
federal government takes the steps necessary to prepare the nation to
prevent and mitigate the effects of potentially catastrophic cyber
attacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Comprehensive legislation is needed to flesh out a range of pressing
cyber security policy questions, including how the federal government
should defend against and respond to cyber attacks and what measures
private sector owners of critical infrastructure should take to prevent
the damage or disruption of their often interconnected and
interdependent networks. Nothing less than the security of our
electricity, communications, financial, and water systems is at stake.
We are encouraged by the significant legislative drafting efforts by
multiple Senate Committees over the last three years, and hope that the
bipartisan cyber security legislation they have produced can be brought
to the floor. One of the reasons that the 9/11 Commission recommended
the establishment of one committee with jurisdiction over homeland
security issues was to ensure that there would not be a failure to act
on important issues because of jurisdictional conflicts. Unfortunately,
jurisdictional and procedural objections to considering cyber security
legislation are now being raised. This homeland security issue is too
critical for it to succumb to such conflicts between committees.
