Senator: White House Cybersecurity Recommendations Could Expose Info to Hackers, Terrorists
Susan Collins
A ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voiced concern over a cybersecurity recommendation submitted by the White House, saying she fears the plan would give hackers and terrorists vital information on which U.S. infrastructure entities are easy to breach, Politico reports.
The Obama administration’s proposal calls for publication of independent audits on how well private companies protect critical infrastructure, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) questioned whether the audits could provide valuable information not only to cyber criminals, “but perhaps [to] terrorist groups or nation-states that are constantly trying to probe our systems.”
Philip Reitinger, soon-to-retire undersecretary in the Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection and Programs Directorate, said the evaluation would not require detailed reporting that could impair the security of critical infrastructure such as electricity grids, transportation networks and other facilities.
While Collins said she understood what the administration was trying to accomplish by publishing the evaluations, she said the availability of such information could help hostile actors and nations up the ante to compromise U.S. infrastructure systems.
“I really hope you’ll take another look at that,” she said.” I understand what you’re trying to do, but I also think you’re giving information to the enemy.”
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