A congressional leader on cybersecurity is seeking to find out why federal agencies have failed to implement measures that would improve their cybersecurity posture against the growing volume of cyberattacks against government.
“Cyberattacks on our federal government have increased by 1,300 percent in 10 years,” Democratic California Rep. Ted Lieu wrote in a letter to Federal Chief Information Security Officer Greg Touhill. “Yet over 1,000 … recommendations to improve cybersecurity have failed to be implemented by federal agencies.”
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Citing a report from the Government Accountability Office about the growth in number and damage of cyberattacks, Lieu is asking Touhill to explain whether the feds need help to implement the GAO’s recommendations, or whether Touhill believes they are unnecessary.
The letter, announced on Wednesday, comes in the wake of a report that foreign hackers have been targeting cellular devices held by Democratic officials, at least some in Congress.
Lieu in April publicized a flaw in a global telecommunications network known as Signaling System No. 7 that experts have said will allow most intelligence agencies to access any mobile device for which they have a number or identifying information. In August, he sent a similar letter asking the Federal Communications Commission to conduct an investigation of its own.
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The calls for action have largely gone dismissed, despite this year’s hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which led, in part, to the publication of contact information for nearly 200 Democratic members of Congress. Experts have observed that information, coupled with the expanding capacity for its exploitation by foreign powers, could be used for attacks with crippling potential.
Recounting the massive 2015 breach of the Office of Personnel Management, Lieu called on Touhill to explain the current lack of preparedness. “Last year, it was clear to me that agency leadership did not prioritize cybersecurity and failed to implement basic cybersecurity measures. I am sure you will agree that we must do more to protect the federal government from harmful security breaches.”
Lieu also sent the letter to leaders on the House Oversight Committee, Republican Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Democratic Ranking Member Rep. Elijah Cummings of Michigan.
