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Mr. LANGEVIN. Let me just say how proud I am to support the FY 2012 Intelligence Authorization Act. I appreciate the leadership of both Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger in crafting this bill. This has truly been a bipartisan effort of which I have been proud to be a part.
I am pleased that this bill includes funding to accelerate implementation of an insider threat detection program, and that's both on the cyber front but also in cases like the Hasan case that was tragically in the news and that occurred not long ago and cost many lives.
This bill basically requires best practices implemented within the Army to be reviewed for inclusion across the intelligence community. That's referring to their insider threat detection program.
In addition, the bill supports critical resources needed for cybersecurity, the broader cybersecurity threat, a threat which demands the attention of our national security specialists and the entire country.
As the successful operation against Osama bin Laden showed us earlier this year, the intelligence community has made significant strides toward working together to counter the most complex threats facing our Nation. This productive cooperation and integration embodies the intent of Congressional intelligence reforms made after the tragic events of 9/11, and I'm encouraged to see this progress in the area of information-sharing.
Yet while the sharing of classified information is imperative to keep our country safe, unrestrained and unregulated access can put our country at great risk. As we have seen from both the damage of WikiLeaks and historical espionage cases, the threat from a malicious insider with the keys to the kingdom is very real. We are far beyond the risk of paper documents being copied and carried out. Today the question is how much information can a potential leaker or spy fit on to a USB drive or a CD.
Although technological advances have strengthened the efforts of our intelligence community, they have also increased the risk.
Now, with this serious concern in mind, I'm proud that this bill requires the DNI to review improvements made by the Army's insider threat regulations and consider implementation of these practices across the entire intelligence community.
In addition, the bill accelerates other technical initiatives within the insider threat program. I believe it's imperative that we ensure that our security officers and network administrators have the capabilities in place to protect our most sensitive information.
Now, in view of the enormous resources spent on security clearances, protecting classified information, and securing networks across the globe, it also makes fiscal sense to protect our investment by taking advantage of the auditing software already available today. The access to classified information bears with it significant responsibilities, one that I know that I and my colleagues on the committee take very seriously.
The other serious threats which this bill addresses are the risks posed to our broader cyber networks. Now, I'm proud that it strengthens resources and it furthers the administration's efforts to address the threats of our critical infrastructure. I know that that is something that is also shared by my colleague, Congressman Ruppersberger.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.
Mr. LANGEVIN. While I applaud the administration's work, I think that we need to go further to raise awareness and work with both public and private sector partners to meet this threat. We cannot afford to continue operating with the massive digital vulnerabilities to not just our sensitive information but also our important intellectual property that makes up the foundation of our innovative economy. Addressing these threats must become a national priority, and we must work quickly to grow our current and future cyber workforce to fill the rising demand for cybersecurity information assurance.
This bill helps secure our sensitive information and vital networks to threats from malicious actors beyond our borders and on the inside because of these important provisions, along with the other merits cited by my colleagues today.
I thank again Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for the outstanding bipartisan cooperation we've seen in their leadership and also the other members of the committee. It's a committee that I'm proud to serve on. I thank them and the committee for their work.
I urge Members to support this bill. |
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James Langevin RI-D |
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United States Representative |
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United States House of Representatives |
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Archive Link
http://archive.is/n2yOL |
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Title: |
H.R. 1892 (112th): Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
govtrack.us |
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Archive Link |
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Title: |
James Langevin, US Representative from Rhode Island |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
LittleSis |
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Archive Link |
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Title: |
House Session Sep 9, 2011 |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
C-SPAN |
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