Langevin Statement on Cybersecurity Executive Order
Statement
Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-2) released the following statement in reaction to the Executive Order on Cybersecurity signed before the President's State of the Union:
"I commend President Obama for issuing this Executive Order, which strengthens our ability to respond to the most serious cyber threats, especially those facing our critical infrastructure. I am heartened to see that this order mirrors many of the recommendations made by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, which I was proud to co-chair. I particularly appreciate the Administration's move towards a cyber threat information sharing program, the attention to privacy and civil liberties concerns, and the creation of a basic framework to protect critical infrastructure. After the failure of comprehensive cybersecurity legislation last year, the need for immediate executive action was clearly apparent, and I applaud the President for taking on this difficult task.
"However, as the President made clear, executive action alone cannot accomplish all that is necessary to secure our most vulnerable and valuable public and private networks. In particular, the executive order cannot provide many of the liability protections and other incentives for industry to participate in cybersecurity initiatives, and it cannot fully address the changes needed to allow a robust cyber threat information sharing program. There is a clear and compelling case for further Congressional action in these areas and others beyond the scope of the order, such as FISMA reform and the emergent need for a highly trained cybersecurity workforce.
"I am grateful for the Administration's willingness to step into the void left by Congress' failure last year and make a substantive effort to address one of the most pressing national security challenges of our time. I call upon my colleagues to come together to enact legislation that builds upon this Executive Order to make a significant, enduring, and comprehensive contribution to our nation's cybersecuri
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