With hundreds of millions of wireless connections in the United States that potentially present cybersecurity risks, the vulnerabilities of wireless networks and devices was the focus of a subcommittee hearing convened by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday.
Blackburn, the chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, noted that cybercrimes cost the global economy approximately $450 billion, and more than 100 million Americans had their medical records breached in 2016, in her opening remarks.
“Mobile connectivity has become essential to our daily lives as a result of advances in technology and consumer demand,” Blackburn said. “Increasing reliance on wireless devices and networks has provided more avenues for cyber criminals to compromise our security and harm consumers. Hackers are smart and they are adapting. The sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks against mobile devices continues to escalate and we must meet this challenge head on.”
Blackburn noted that threats to wireless technology and mobile devices can come from ransomware, phishing schemes, packet sniffing and attacks on encryption protocols. Lawmakers have said that defending against cyberattacks on networks and devices requires ongoing investment and innovation.
“These incidents have been occurring with alarming frequency on scales large and small,” Blackburn said.
Indeed, the number of malware attacks on mobile devices increased by more than 300 percent from 2015-2016, according to a report from Kaspersky Lab, a global cybersecurity company.
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) questioned witness Amit Yoran, the chairman and CEO of Tenable Network Security, about the shortage of qualified cybersecurity workers to address the threats described by Blackburn.
“There’s two other critical aspects to attracting and retaining cybersecurity talent,” Yoran said. “One is in providing them intellectually stimulating work. It’s an exciting field and if you don’t give them exciting problems they will go elsewhere. The other is in creating a culture that’s dynamic and enjoyable to be a part of.”
Charles Clancy, the director and professor of the Hume Center for National Security and Technology at Virginia Tech, touched on the impact of regulatory authority being spread across the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. He concluded that “it is imperative that we develop mechanisms to foster continued collaboration.”
“Cyberspace is the battlefield of the 21st century,” Blackburn said. “We must act now. Hard-working taxpayers are demanding leadership from Washington in the cyber arena and it is our duty to provide it. Whether it is encryption, the use of authentication standards, updating operating systems or rigorous implementation of anti-virus software — we must have an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to forging defensive strategies that will defeat and deter cyber criminals.”