2 House committee leaders call on Senate to act on cybersecurity

U.S. Reps. Devin Nunes (R-CA), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Cybersecurity Subcommittee chairwoman, commented last week to the  cyberattack on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

“The threat of cyberattacks on U.S. networks is growing more severe every day,” Nunes said. “The recent attack on the Office of Personnel Management is just the latest breach that has jeopardized the personal information of millions of Americans. The government must take fast, decisive measures to counter these intrusions, which emanate from hostile nation-states, as well as nonstate actors.”

“The number of cyberattacks on our nation is increasing at a rapid and incredibly concerning pace,” Westmoreland said. “Business and industry leaders warned us of the growing threats during various hearings, and this attack shows why the Senate needs to move quickly on a cyber bill. Our nation must adopt strong defenses against cyberattacks, and we need to do it immediately.”

Nunes said the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, recently approved by the House, would bolster the nation’s cyber defenses and called on the Senate to approve the bill.