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CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE CALLS FOR URGENT RESPONSE TO CYBERCRIMES COMMITTED BY INTERNATIONAL ACTORS

December 22, 2014

Jackson Lee: “Cybercrime is an international epidemic requiring a concerted response from a united international community.”

December 18, 2014

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, released the following statement in response to President Obama's announcement regarding North Korea's involvement in the recent cyberattack against Sony Pictures:

"Cybercrimes committed by international actors constitute a serious threat to our national, economic, and homeland security. Disrupting, degrading, and defeating an attackers ability to engage in cyberattacks against the United States must be a national priority. I fully support President Obama's efforts to increase the security of the nation's public and private cybernetworks since the earliest days of his administration. It should be noted that it is estimated that 85 percent of cybercrime targets are commercial or non-governmental entities.

"Cybersecurity requires vigilance and proactive work on the part of the government, private sector, and individuals to guard against vulnerabilities and intentional acts that could cripple or seriously undermine the ability of critical infrastructure to deliver vital services to communities around the nation.

"When the 114th Congress convenes I will introduce two bills to fight the growing threat of cyberattacks. The first, "Terrorism Prevention and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act," directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with critical infrastructure owners and operators as well as state, local, tribal and territorial entities to take proactive steps to manage risk and strengthen the security and resilience of the Nation's critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.

"The second bill is the "Cybersecurity Workforce and Defense Education Act," which focuses resources on closing the gap in the demand for cybersecurity experts and the thousands of positions in the federal government and private sector that are going unfilled. Cyber conflicts are fights that we can win, but we cannot win by leaving any one behind in the race to lift minds and capacities through effective cyber-STEM education programs."

"When the 114th Congress convenes next month, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, and the Committees on Intelligence, Armed Services, and Energy and Commerce to develop legislative proposals to respond to the security threats posed by those who engage in cybercrime."

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security