PORTLAND, Ore. — Congressman David Wu joined Oregon cybersecurity leaders today to discuss the growing challenges faced by their industry and the impact of pending federal policy on computing safety and our economy.

“From air traffic control to manufacturing to banking, we rely on the internet and networked systems in nearly every aspect of our lives,” said Congressman David Wu.  “But we still have a lot of work to do to protect critical infrastructure, private networks, and even home computers from those who would exploit vulnerabilities to cause economic or physical harm.  And we need to protect our infrastructure while preserving economic competitiveness and privacy rights.  That’s why I am reaching out to cybersecurity experts in Oregon to get their on-the-ground assessments of how the federal government can do a better job.”

A federal 2009 review of cyberspace policy found that there is not enough coordinated effort in the public or private sectors to defeat the evolving technologies that threaten to disrupt our networks every day.

“The gap between the consumer’s ability to protect oneself and the capability of technology to cause harm is growing every day,” said event participant Brad Ketch of Safety Plan, Inc.

To help secure online information, Congressman Wu helped draft and pass the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2010 (H.R. 4061) through the House of Representatives.  H.R. 4061 addresses the overarching challenge of stove-piped federal investments in cybersecurity research and development, where multiple agencies are doing disparate or repetitive work without any coordination.  This legislation now awaits further consideration in the Senate.

By encouraging better coordination in cybersecurity R&D, Wu hopes to avoid wasting government money and support the development of standards that can be used across industries to protect online systems.  

"The drive to be the first to market, without adequate standards in place, results in incomplete products that create difficulties for consumers," explained John Rasmussen from Oregon Health & Science University during the discussion.

Today’s meeting took place at the Beaverton Round Training Center and involved nearly 20 representatives from various entities ranging from Intel to OHSU.  Congressman Wu plans to synthesize the feedback he received today and incorporate it into his discussions with Congress and the Obama administration on this important issue.

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