The National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges was introduced on Monday by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) to address the national security threat of encrypted communications.
“The challenge of protecting national security and digital security simultaneously, is complex,” McCaul said. “The ongoing Apple vs. FBI dispute is only a symptom of a much larger problem. But we are almost certain to see this scenario repeated unless the larger issue is addressed. Law enforcement clearly needs the ability to gain lawful access to information that can stop future attacks. I am proud to partner with Senator Warner on this initiative and I urge our colleagues in both chambers to quickly establish this Commission so we may effectively address this challenge for law enforcement now and in the future.”
The bipartisan, bicameral legislation establishes the McCaul-Warner Commission on Digital Security, first announced on Dec. 28 in an op-ed published in the Washington Post. The commission is tasked with addressing the larger issue of protecting national security and digital security without providing an encrypted communications safe haven for terrorists.
“As someone who spent nearly two decades in the tech industry, I recognize that there are no easy or simple solutions to the challenges posed by the growing use of secure technologies,” Warner said. “The same tools that allow terrorists and criminals to evade detection by American intelligence and law enforcement are also used each day by Americans who rely upon secure technologies to safely shop online, communicate with friends and family, and run their businesses.”
Warner said that an appropriate balance needs to be found that protects the privacy, security and competitiveness of Americans.
“(B)ut we won’t achieve that while all sides continue to talk past each other,” Warner said. “What we don’t want is a solution that could simply drive terrorists to use software and hardware based overseas, pushing their communications even farther out of reach for American law enforcement and intelligence. Chairman McCaul has been a solid partner in this initiative, and I appreciate the support for this proposal from colleagues in both parties and on both sides of Capitol Hill.”
Original co-sponsors of the McCaul-Warner Commission on Digital Security are U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI), Pat Meehan (R-PA), Suzan Delbene (D-WA), Mike Bishop (R-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Will Hurd (R-TX), Kathleen Rice (D-NY), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Dan Donovan (R-NY), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Barbara Comstock (R-VA), Mimi Walters (R-CA), Ryan Costello (R-PA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA).