Cybersecurity

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2009 -- A team led by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a contract to help the Defense Information Systems Agency develop integrated network operations situational awareness (NetOps SA) across Department of Defense classified and unclassified cyber networks.

Under the $28 million award, Raytheon and its teammates will provide a cybersecurity solution that will, among other things, enable the Department of Defense to quickly detect network intrusions and assess the overall health of its network.    » read more »

November 3, 2009 -- As part of a continuing effort to identify the latest cyber crime trends and warn the public, the FBI today released the following information:

Within the last several months, the FBI has seen a significant increase in fraud involving the exploitation of valid online banking credentials belonging to small and medium businesses, municipal governments, and school districts. In a typical scenario, the targeted entity receives a “spear phishing” e-mail which either contains an infected attachment, or directs the recipient to an infected website.    » read more »

National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center Opens

October 30, 2009 -- (Arlington, VA) - Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) joined Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other Members of Congress to launch a new cybersecurity center today in Arlington, Virginia.

The National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) will create a 24-hour watch and warning center to address threats and other incidents involving our nation’s critical infrastructure. The center will be staffed by officials with the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies along with workers from the private sector.    » read more »

Testimony of Alex Garza, MD,MPH, Office of Health Affairs; Richard Serino,FEMA; Marcy Forman, ICE before U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats,Cybersecurity and Science & Technology on "Real-Time Assessment of the Federal Response to Pandemic"

October 27, 2009 -- Cannon House Office Building -- (Written Testimony)    » read more »

October 16, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today participated in a special cybersecurity industry roundtable discussion entitled "Cybersecurity: State of Play and Recommendations for Moving Forward." Industry officials and policy makers from both the private and public sectors were invited to assess the current state of cyberspace security and discuss the future of cybersecurity policy.

Rep. Sanchez, who was invited to address the twenty-person panel of experts, delivered the following statement as prepared:

"Good morning! Thank you all for having me here at this critical event to discuss the way forward on cyber security issues.    » read more »

October 8, 2009 -- Because it will be difficult to prevent cyber attacks on critical civilian and military computer networks by threatening to punish attackers, the United States must focus its efforts on defending these networks from cyber attack, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The study finds that the United States and other nations that rely on externally accessible computer networks—such as ones used for electric power, telephone service, banking, and military command and control—as a foundation for their military and economic power are subject to cyber attack.    » read more »

National Competition in Search of Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Leaders

October 2, 2009 -- Washington, DC – California will join the U.S. Cyber Challenge, a series of competitions aimed at recruiting and training America's next generation of cybersecurity experts, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and the California Office of Information Security announced today.

The U.S. Cyber Challenge consists of three competitions: The Digital Forensics competition, led by the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center; the CyberPatriot Defense competition, led by the U.S. Air Force Association; and the NetWars Capture the Flag competition, led by the SANS Institute.    » read more »

July 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) said today that reports of cyber attacks by North Korea are another example of why the United States needs to be better armed to fight these alarming 21st century security threats.

As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, Sen. Carper has been pushing to increase protections against just such cyber attacks as those reported this week against U.S. and South Korean government websites.    » read more »

Also secures $3 million for cyber safety software

June 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, supported the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which included $800 million in funding for border security and $3 million for cyber security.

"I am pleased the Appropriations Committee senses the urgency in securing our nation's borders and providing our patrol agents with the tools they need to make sure our country and citizens remain safe," said Bennett. "Utahns can rest assured that we are doing everything we can in Congress to provide the highest security to every American."    » read more »

Gillibrand And Arcuri Call for Newly Created Cyber Security Czar to Visit Rome Labs; New Cyber Czar Will Lead Nation’s Efforts to Ensure Nation’s Network Security

June 10, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - After news that the FBI's computer and email system shut down due to a far-reaching virus, on May 29, President Obama created the position of cyber security czar responsible for protecting America's network security.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today that the two agencies are working with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and VeriSign on an initiative to enhance the security and stability of the Internet.

The parties are working on an interim approach to deployment, by year’s end, of a security technology—Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)—at the authoritative root zone (i.e., the address book) of the Internet. There will be further consultations with the Internet technical community as the testing and implementation plans are developed.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today appointments for two key cybersecurity posts at the Department—Greg Schaffer as Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C); and Bruce McConnell as Counselor to the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Deputy Under Secretary. In addition, Deputy Under Secretary for NPPD Philip Reitinger will also serve as Director of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC)—a major step toward a cohesive DHS strategy on cyber efforts.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- THE PRESIDENT: Everybody, please be seated. We meet today at a transformational moment -- a moment in history when our interconnected world presents us, at once, with great promise but also great peril.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- Washington D.C. -- A published report in The New York Post on May 29, 2009, regarding the FBI's external, unclassified computer network contains factual errors and inaccuracies.

The New York Post reported that "a vicious cyber-virus is crippling the FBI's computer and e-mail systems—continuing to jam the G-men's vast communications network more than NINE DAYS after being first detected."

Fact: The FBI's external, unclassified e-mail system is not crippled, nor was it jammed for nine days. The external, unclassified network was shut down by the FBI as a precautionary measure. Within 48 hours of identifying the issue and mitigating risks, e-mail traffic was largely restored to the external, unclassified network.    » read more »

May 29, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement today on the Obama Administration’s Cybersecurity Policy Review:

"We applaud President Obama for highlighting the extraordinarily serious issue of cybersecurity. No other President in American history has elevated this issue to that level and we thank him for his leadership.    » read more »