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January 08, 2016

Subcommittees Discuss Best Cybersecurity Practices

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Subcommittee on Research and Technology and the Subcommittee on Oversight held a joint hearing titled, “Cybersecurity: What the Federal Government Can Learn from the Private Sector,” to discuss cybersecurity practices and potential opportunities for public-private partnerships. This hearing was called in part as a response to breaches at federal agencies including those at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). There have also been significant recent private sector consumer data breaches at Target, JPMorgan Chase, mSpy, Anthem, and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

The panel of witnesses who testified included: Mr. John Wood, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Telos Corporation, Dr. Martin Casado, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Networking and Security Business Unit, VMWare, Mr. Ken Schneider, Vice President of Technology Strategy, Symantec Corporation, and Mr. Larry Clinton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Internet Security Alliance.

Ranking Member Don Beyer (D-VA) said, “Protecting against known and emerging cyber threats is an ongoing enterprise that requires consistent vigilance. Our capabilities must include the ability to adopt new operational methods and innovative technologies to thwart escalating criminal activities and dangerous hazards in cyberspace.” He continued, “I am sure there are many lessons that the federal government can learn from the private sector. I look forward to the equal certainty that there is much that the private sector can learn from the government, especially the Department of Defense and our intelligence community.”

Congress has proposed and enacted several bills on cybersecurity as Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) cited in his opening statement, “Our committee plays an important role in both the technology side and the policy side, and this is an area in which Members have successfully collaborated across the aisle. In December 2014, Congress enacted the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, a bipartisan research, education, and standards bill that I worked on with Mr. McCaul over several years. And last month, Congress enacted a cybersecurity law to promote information sharing and strengthen coordination between the private and public sectors. As a committee and a Congress we need to continue to confront these serious cyber threats.”

The witnesses and members discussed ways that both the government and the private sector could share expertise and create better partnerships to anticipate and respond to future attacks. The witnesses stressed the need for restructuring the government’s approach to the digital age and for increased investments in preventive cybersecurity systems, employee and public cyber education, and research specifically on the human factors side of cybersecurity.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said in her statement for the record, “Protecting our massive stores of information of all types will continue to require the collaborative efforts of the private sector, government, researchers, and the general public. No government agency, no business, and no individual is truly immune from these threats.”