Rep. Miller on the Cybersecurity of Our Nation's Ports

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, issued the following statement after conducting a hearing titled: "Protecting Maritime Facilities in the 21st Century: Are Our Nation's Ports at Risk for a Cyber-Attack?"

"When you ask homeland security experts about the most pressing security vulnerability that keeps them up at night, many say it's cybersecurity. The threat posed by cyber-attacks is real, as evidenced by recent attacks against U.S. companies and government agencies. These same threats pose a real risk to our critical infrastructure, including our nation's 360 ports.

"Since 9/11, the U.S. has bolstered the physical security of our nation's ports, but as our ports become increasingly reliant on automated industrial control systems, we must also ensure the cyber security of our seaports does not fall behind. Today, to assess the cybersecurity measures currently employed at our ports, I conducted a Subcommittee hearing where we heard from security experts from the U.S. Coast Guard, Government Accountability Office, and the ports of Long Beach, California, and Brownsville, Texas.

"Based on today's testimony, we need to complete a comprehensive risk assessment of our cybersecurity vulnerabilities and facilitate effective information sharing between government agencies and seaport stakeholders, helping us safeguard our critical maritime infrastructure."

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