Chairman McCaul Warns The United States Is Falling Behind In Cyber War

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At the 2017 RSA Conference held last week in San Francisco, California, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) was ominous in his assessment of the country’s efforts to deter cyber-attacks. In a keynote speech entitled, “The War in Cyberspace: Why We Are Losing—and How to Fight Back,” Chairman McCaul outlined several reasons why he believes the United States is falling behind and what needs to be done to reverse that trend. 

Chairman McCaul noted that as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, he receives briefings on cyber threats every week, and it is clear to him that “our adversaries are turning digital breakthroughs into digital bombs.” 

He suggests five reasons why the United States is not winning the cyber war: (i) there are too many cyber outlaws, and law enforcement agencies are struggling to keep up with the volume and complexity of network intrusions; (ii) the speed of high tech gives cybercriminals an advantage – offensive weapons outpace defensive ones; (iii) information-sharing between government agencies, private companies and U.S. allies is too weak; (iv) deterrence is difficult; and (v) there is a paradox between national security and digital security.    

Chairman McCaul says the keys to prevailing against our cyber enemies are (i) redoubling our efforts to defend private sector networks and the public, including by doing a better job recruiting cyber talent and creating a Digital Security Commission made up of the nation’s top experts to find real solutions that balance digital security with national security; (ii) defending our government institutions, critical infrastructure and our democracy, including by breaking down bureaucratic barriers that prevent companies working more closely with government, addressing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities more seriously, and striking back – with sanctions or other real-world penalties – when appropriate; and (iii) working more closely with America’s allies, including by developing clear “rules of the road” when it comes to cyber warfare and conferring with allies on major incidents and working to build mutual defenses.   

While Chairman McCaul called the cyber landscape “bleak,” he also noted the United States has the “world’s greatest minds working to defend our networks.” He called 2016 a watershed year in cyberspace that made us more realistic about the danger we face and clear-eyed about what needs to be done. 

The full text of Chairman McCaul’s speech can be found here.

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