Better Cybercrime Metrics Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my Better Cybercrime Metrics Act and its companion bill in the U.S. Senate, S. 2629. And I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for that introduction and for her support of this bill since the moment we introduced it.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation is under constant attack from cybercriminals. And with the range of new threats emanating from adversaries around the world, including the Russian Federation, Congress has an obligation to move legislation forward that can better protect the American people, their data, their finances, and their personal information.

Over the last few years, we have seen massive rates of cybercrime. Millions of Americans have had their personal data compromised, their money stolen, their identity taken, or their safety put at serious risk. In fact, cybercrime remains the most common crime in America, and this trend was only exacerbated by the pandemic and the many fraudsters looking to scam vulnerable Americans in a moment of crisis or make a quick buck off of a global catastrophe.

Unfortunately, a vast majority of these crimes are not properly reported or tracked by law enforcement. Far too often, they are not measured or even documented. And to make matters worse, our government lacks the preparedness required to fully address the next generation of cybercrime and cyberattacks.

Our legislation would give law enforcement agencies the tools they need to better track and identify cybercrime, prevent attacks, and hold perpetrators accountable. Our bill would require Federal reporting on the effectiveness of current cybercrime mechanisms.

And it would go one step further--it would also highlight disparities in reporting data between cybercrime data and other types of crime data. This is such an important step for strengthening our understanding and our defenses against the phishing attempts, extortion, identity theft, and ransomware attacks that are plaguing everyday Americans in communities and across our country. Additionally, our bill would make sure America's law enforcement is prepared for the next generation of cyberattacks.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud former Federal law enforcement officer, and I understand that local and State police and sheriff's departments are often strained for resources. And I know that their time is precious, so I recognize the importance of having their backs and making sure that we have as much information as possible about potential threats.

This legislation follows through on that commitment and it is why I am glad to see it endorsed by several national organizations--including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National White Collar Crime Center, which has a presence in Virginia's Seventh District.

In fact, this legislation--bipartisan and bicameral--was partially inspired by the attack on the Colonial pipeline last year, something that impacted many communities across my district.

After thousands of Virginians, their gas tanks, and their wallets were impacted by this disruptive ransomware attack, I was proud to build a bipartisan coalition focused on improving America's efforts to undercut hackers, protect critical infrastructure, and strengthen existing cybercrime prevention efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives who joined this bipartisan coalition. I thank Congressman Blake Moore, Congressman Andrew Garbarino, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for their partnership. Clearly, there is still bipartisan consensus for cybersecurity reforms and protections.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank our friends across the Capitol complex for ushering the Senate version through the process. Thank you to Senators Schatz, Tillis, Cornyn, and Blumenthal for your cooperation and leadership on this important bicameral effort.

When our bipartisan bill passes the House tonight, it will head to the President's desk to be signed into law. And with a stroke of a pen, we will ensure that our national crime classification system can properly identify cybercrimes and prevent future attacks.

Once our legislation is signed into law, we will be protecting more families who bank online. We will be protecting more businesses who manage their employees' payroll information over the internet. We will be protecting more seniors who are using the internet to communicate with their loved ones far away or rely on the internet to manage their Federal benefits, such as Social Security.

Together, we will thwart cybercriminals. And together, we will prevent more Americans from becoming targets or victims online.

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