Recent cyber breaches at retailers, including Target, Nieman Marcus, and Michael's, have once again brought the public's attention to the threat of criminals accessing their personal information. Such data breaches are neither new nor rare. The Target attack alone compromised the information of approximately 110 million consumers. In 2012, an estimated 16.6 million Americans experienced identity theft, costing consumers nearly $25 billion. Just last week many people learned about the so-called Heartbleed vulnerability that affects the encryption software used in many e-commerce sites. While...

EMP is simply a burst of electromagnetic radiation that results from certain types of high-energy explosions or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. EMPs can be generated by nuclear weapons, from naturally-occurring sources such as solar storms, or specialized non-nuclear EMP weapons. In 1962, the United States conducted a test named STARFISH Prime where the military detonated a 1.4-megaton thermonuclear bomb about 25 miles above Johnston Atoll in the in the Pacific. In space, six American, British, and Soviet satellites suffered damage, and 800 miles away in Hawaii, burglar alarms...

For years, the private sector has been on the front line battling devastating cyber attacks from criminals, activists in nation-states such as Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea. Any cyber threat-sharing legislation produced by Congress should enhance existing capabilities and relationships while establishing procedures to safeguard personal privacy. The cyber breach of health insurance giant Anthem exposed the personal information of up to 80 million Americans, approximately 1 in every 4 Americans, demonstrating that the quantity and sophistication of these attacks is only increasing. The...

Given the recent alarming terrorist attacks in Paris, the increase in violent extremist activity across Europe, and the increase in cyber attacks from nation-state and organized criminal actors, it is important that each of the components within the Department of Homeland Security rise to the challenge and meet these threats. Privately-owned entities that make up the Nation's critical infrastructure, including our ports, energy networks, chemical manufacturers, transportation and financial sectors, and telecommunication providers, are all vital to our societal and economic well-being. What is...

The Support Antiterrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY) ensures that the threat of costly litigation does not deter potential manufacturers or sellers of anti-terrorism technologies at both large and small companies from developing and putting into the marketplace products and services that could reduce the risk or mitigate the consequences of a large-scale terrorist event. The SAFETY Act was part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and is a voluntary program that currently provides incentives for the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies. Companies...

The United States faces evolving cybersecurity threats from nation-states such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, as well as cyber threats from criminal organizations and terrorist groups such as ISIS. These actors continue to develop and build more sophisticated cyber capabilities. These hackers now pose an even greater threat to the U.S. homeland and critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity more than ever is National security. In 2015, the U.S. was the victim of one of the most significant cyber attacks in its history. The breach at the Office of Personnel Management exposed the...