Raising Awareness And Enhancing The State Of Cyber Security In The United States

Floor Speech

* Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 797, recognizing the goals and ideals of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

* The release of the Presidential Cyberspace Policy Review in May was an important step forward.

* However, more work remains to be done to ensure that cybersecurity is fully integrated into our nation's homeland security efforts.

* Our country can't afford 20th century thinking for a 21st century problem.

* I congratulate Ms. Clarke, the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, for her work on cybersecurity, and thank her for authoring this resolution.

* The Committee has held ten hearings and undertaken numerous investigations into cybersecurity issues affecting the Federal government, the private sector, and critical infrastructure owners and operators in just the last three years.

* Though the Homeland Security Committee is primarily concerned with cybersecurity on Federal networks and critical infrastructure, we recognize the important education mission carried out by the National Cyber Security Alliance and their efforts to reach home users, small businesses, and students and educators of all ages.

* The National Cyber Security Alliance's mission is to increase awareness of cyber security practices and technologies to these folks through educational activities, online resources and checklists.

* Raising the awareness of this issue in both the public and private sectors is absolutely vital as our country becomes increasingly connected.

* Cybercrime is a serious business--recent reports suggest that cyber-crime has become a $105 billion business that now surpasses the value of the illegal drug trade worldwide.

* During the past two years, one in five online consumers has been a victim of cybercrime.

* But companies and consumers continue to underestimate the threat from phishing, data loss, and other cyber vulnerabilities.

* I encourage my colleagues today to support this resolution and join me and Representative CLARKE in our efforts to address this threat to our economy and homeland security.

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