14 DAY TRIAL // On March 1, the White House Office of Management and Budget should have released a report about the security of federal government computer networks. The report has been put on hold and Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma believes it’s because it shows a lack of performance.
According to The Washington Times, Sen. Coburn says the only reason for the delay is the fact that the report shows “significant criticism” of the government’s performance in keeping its cyber infrastructure protected against attacks.
On the other hand, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the agency is pleased with its efforts in combating cyberattacks.
Napolitano noted that 26,000 actionable alerts have been released since the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center was established in 2009, and $10 billion (7.6 billion EUR) in losses have been prevented.
When asked by Coburn if the new cybersecurity executive order is properly balanced between protecting intellectual property and protecting critical infrastructure, Napolitano said it’s “appropriately aimed,” Nextgov reports.
On the other hand, the Secretary admitted that the DHS was more devoted to protecting systems that could impact the economy or result in the loss of human lives, than to counter intellectual property theft, counterfeiting or other types of cyber fraud.