Schumer Backs New Cybersecurity Legislation Now Moving Through Congress as New Cyber Threats from Abroad Could Cripple US Power Grid

Press Release

SCHUMER BACKS NEW CYBERSECURITY LEGISLATION NOW MOVING THROUGH CONGRESS AS NEW CYBER THREATS FROM ABROAD COULD CRIPPLE US POWER GRID

New Bi-Partisan Legislation Would Create New Cybersecurity Chief - Calls for Rapidly Increased Funding for Cybersecurity to Beef Up Efforts

New Reports Reveal Foreign Hackers Regularly Penetrating US Power Grid, Other Government Computer Systems - Software May Have Already Been Installed to Cripple Grid

With new reports out today detailing how foreign hackers target government networks and may have already infiltrated the nation's power grid, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced he is backing new bipartisan comprehensive cybersecurity legislation that will dramatically beef up federal cybersecurity defenses. The bi-partisan legislation, authored by Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), would create a new national cybersecurity adviser who would report directly to the president. Schumer today also called for additional funding for the Administration to beef up cybersecurity defenses. According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal, cyberspies from foreign counties, including China and Russia, have penetrated the domestic power grid and "left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system." Schumer said that, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of cybersecurity breaches has skyrocketed to more than 60,000 last year alone.

"Today it is China and Russia, but the same tools are potentially available to Iran and Al Queda and others who may actively seek to do us harm," said Schumer. "The pace of technological innovation is breathtaking, and we are clearly behind the curve when it comes to taking these threats seriously and building the firewalls needed to protect our power grind and critical networks."

The new legislation would significantly raise the profile of cybersecurity within the Federal government and streamline cyber-related government functions and authorities. The bill would establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor within the Executive Office of the President. The National Cybersecurity Advisor will lead this office and report directly to the President. The Advisor will serve as the lead official on all cyber matters, coordinating with the intelligence community, as well as the civilian agencies.

"After September 11th, we immediately began looking at the obvious places terrorists might attack - ports, amusement parks, nuclear plants - but we left one area too wide open: cyberspace," Schumer said. "Every day, hackers come up with new and more devious ways to hack in to our systems, meaning every day we must do more and more to protect our critical networks. The ripple effects from even a brief shut down of the power grid or other cyber networks could cripple the nation and have disastrous economic ramifications. This legislation would finally kick the federal government in to gear to secure these vital networks."

In February, President Barack Obama announced a sweeping 60-day review of US efforts to protect the government's information technology systems from security and economic threats.

In 2002, Schumer introduced legislation that would establish a Cybersecurity Defense Team to protect New York and the nation from a massive cyber terrorist attack. With government evidence showing increased cyber terrorist activity by rogue nations like Iran, Iraq and North Korea, as well as terrorist networks like Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah, New York's power plants, phone systems, water treatment plants, banks, airports and train stations remain vulnerable to attack.

Source