Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Important Investments for Cybersecurity

Press Release

U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee, on which she serves, has approved important investments for our nation's safety and security as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. The bill must now be considered by the full Senate.

This bill directs $820 million for cybersecurity protection of federal networks and incident response.

"The recent cyber security breach at the Office of Personnel Management has affected a staggering number of people, with some labeling this incident one of the largest incidents of espionage in decades. This attack was a stark reminder that our adversaries who oppose freedom of expression and our way of life are increasingly turning to the cyber realm," Senator Collins stated. "While this important investment will help better
safeguard the critical infrastructure this nation depends upon, we have a considerable amount of work to do in order to adequately protect our nation from a potentially devastating cyber-attack.

This week, Senator Collins received a letter from the Office of Personnel Management informing her that like millions of Americans, her personal data may have been compromised in the recent cyberattack on the agency. Senator Collins is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

This $820 million investment in our cybersecurity will help to strengthen network security, increase accountability on cyber-attack prevention and response, and increase needed communication and cooperation between the government and private sector.

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