Representatives McCaul and Langevin Write Urgent Letter to President Obama

Cyber-Attacks On The Rise. U.S. Security At Stake.

Urging swift action from the President on Cyber-Security issues, Representatives Michael McCaul and James Langevin have written a letter to President Obama. Recently the threat of Cyber-Attacks have increased greatly, and we have already witnessed instances of such attack against our nation. The entirety of Rep. McCaul and Rep. Langevin's letter follows:

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama:

We would like to commend you and your Administration for your early action to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity policy. The threats we face from cyber attacks continue to increase. Now is the time to implement the recommendations of the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity, which we were honored to co-chair, and your own administration’s Cyberspace Policy Review,by establishing a strong coordinating office in the White House with the proper authorities to manage the complex and critical mission of securing our nation’s networks.

The CSIS Commission report noted, and multiple news reports confirm, that foreign aggressors and criminals have been able to penetrate inadequately protected U.S. computer networks. These attacks have provided access to vast quantities of valuable information, and while our most sensitive U.S. military communications remain safe, economic competitors and potential military opponents have not hesitated to exploit opportunities presented by our lack of robust cybersecurity protections. Two of the most fundamental recommendations of the Commission were that the President create a comprehensive national security strategy for cyberspace and that this strategy be coordinated from the White House. While we are pleased to see progress on the first step, we are deeply concerned by the delay in acting on the second. Specifically, we strongly believe that the continued absence of a permanent cybersecurity coordinator impedes the ability of federal agencies to move forward in updating and strengthening their aging cyber policies, while also complicating our efforts to collaborate with private institutions that play such a critical role in keeping our nation safe.

Your Administration has demonstrated a commitment to a strong cybersecurity policy, and we greatly appreciate your early attention to this issue. We now respectfully urge you to solidify these efforts by swiftly appointing a cybersecurity coordinator. We look forward to our continued work with you to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity policy and offer you our assistance and support in this effort.

Sincerely,

James R. Langevin Michael McCaul

Member of Congress Memeber of Congress