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Cybersecurity: “A Long Way Since September 11”
In a letter to the editor this morning in the Washington Post, Philip Reitinger, deputy undersecretary for national protection and programs at the Department of Homeland Security, pointed out that “Cybersecurity has come a long way since September 11.”
Reitinger’s comments come as rebuttal to DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner’s announcement last week that the Department was experiencing shortfalls in the cybersecurity office, the US-CERT.
While Reitinger may be right that the US has made cybersecurity strides over the past nine years, it seems cybersecurity has also picked up momentum over the past few days.
According to The Hill, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs yesterday moved to approve Sens. Lieberman, Collins and Carper’s comprehensive cybersecurity bill, The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act. That is, after the much debated “kill switch” portion of the bill was amended “to limit the president’s authority in the event of a cyber emergency.”
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Cybersecurity Heats Up in Washington
Information Week is reporting this afternoon that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the chamber’s plan to combine several cybersecurity measures currently floating around the floor.
According to the article, Eric Hopkins, federal financial management subcommittee staffer of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, suggested, “By working together, we can put something together that will be solid and hopefully won’t require too much debate.”
The Information Week article goes on to acknowledge that the Senate homeland security committee bill co-sponsored by Sens. Lieberman, Collins and Carper, as well as the Senate commerce committee bill of Sens. Rockefeller and Snowe are “the two most prominent and comprehensive bills currently circulating.”
Meanwhile, cybersecurity continues to pick up steam, with the Washington Post reporting that the White House Office of Science and Technology announced its plan to sponsor major federal cybersecurity research. According to Dawn Meyerriecks, deputy director of national intelligence for acquisition and technology, “The government’s about to spend multiple billions of dollars.”
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DHS Inspector General to Testify on US Cybersecurity Shortfalls Today
The National Journal is reporting this morning that DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner will testify before Congress today to warn that a key government cybersecurity unit – The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) – lacks the authority and expertise needed to protect federal information technology networks.
Skinner is scheduled to announce his findings at a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee today, just one day after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing for Sens. Lieberman, Collins and Carper’s cybersecurity legislation. Aware of Skinner’s report, the Senate trio used the findings to leverage support for their new bill, which calls for a complete overhaul of the government’s current handlings of our nation’s cybersecurity.
According to the National Journal, Philip Reitinger, DHS deputy undersecretary, said “The department is deploying a technology system called ‘Einstein’ to federal agencies to help detect and stop electronic attacks.” But Inspector General Skinner is prepared to note that several agency network upgrades are needed before Einstein can effectively be deployed.
Bottom line, Skinner plans to testify: “The US-CERT does not have the appropriate enforcement authority to ensure that agencies comply with mitigation guidance concerning threats and vulnerabilities.”
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Intelligence Committee Staffer to the White House
Howard Schmidt, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator, is expected to announce the appointment of Sameer Bhalotra to White House Deputy Cybersecurity Coordinator, NextGov reports.
Bhalotra, a key cyber staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee and former member of the Commission on the Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, has managed the cyber budget for several years , gaining support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Cybersecurity News 