Cybersecurity For the 21st Century

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, during a time when our digital world is so insecure, new policies are needed to help defend against cyber attacks. The attacks against Sony Pictures, Target, and Anthem are just a few of the most recent examples.

According to a report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cyber crimes in 2013 cost more than $100 billion in the United States and, roughly, half a trillion dollars globally.

Mr. Speaker, Congress needs to resolve these problems by working together to improve our Nation's cyber defenses rather than having President Obama try to solve the problem one executive order at a time, and that is exactly what the House is doing this week. Determined to protect the American people from future cyber attacks, last night, the House passed one bipartisan bill--and it will vote on another today--which seeks to balance security while protecting privacy.

Mr. Speaker, after years of inaction, the White House has indicated it is willing to work with Congress on this issue, signaling that we may finally put the policies in place that are necessary to protect our digital world in the 21st century.

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