Sen. John McCain said the wide-ranging federal review of cyber vulnerabilities ordered by President Trump Thursday was an unneeded distraction.
“The fact is that the challenges we confront are well known and well documented,” the Armed Services Committee chairman said in a statement. “We do not need more assessments, reports, and reviews.”
McCain took the administration to task this week for blowing a deadline on completing its cybersecurity strategy. Trump had promised a new plan would be finished within 90 days of his inauguration following revelations that Russia used cyberattacks in an attempt to influence the presidential election last year.
“We need policy, strategy, and the resources to carry them out,” McCain said. “Countless witnesses before the Senate Armed Services Committee have warned that the threats we face in cyberspace are growing in speed and sophistication.”
Trump signed an executive order Thursday ordering federal agencies including the Defense Department to conduct reviews of cyber vulnerabilities and IT needs.
“The executive branch has for too long accepted antiquated and difficult-to-defend IT,” according to the order.
The order requires a variety of reports due to the president beginning three months from now. The Defense Department and other agencies are tasked with writing a plan for critical infrastructure within six months.
