Another Major Data Breach

Last Thursday evening, we learned of another major cyberattack and data breach against the United States. The U.S. believes Chinese hackers stole sensitive identity and personal information from as many as four million current and former federal employees. This breach leaves those exposed vulnerable to identity theft and fraud, and raises many more questions. I have previously questioned another government agency—the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—about its collection of sensitive personal information and its protection of that information. According to the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, the CFPB collects sensitive consumer data on nearly 600 million credit cards, and has been warned about its information security weaknesses. This is unacceptable for an agency charged with protecting consumers.

After the public learned of last week’s data breach, the Obama administration said Congress needs to “come out of the dark ages” and work on cybersecurity legislation. But the House has already taken the lead on cyber and data security, and I’m proud to play a leading role to keep your most sensitive information safe. In April, the House passed the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (H.R. 1560) and the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act (H.R. 1731). I supported both of these bills to increase communication between the government and the private sector, and better share information on potential cyberattack threats. A national threat to our economy and our security requires a national solution. That is why I have also introduced H.R. 2205, the Data Security Act of 2015, to establish a national data security and breach notification standard for banks, retailers, and credit card companies to better protect your most sensitive financial information. To better protect all Americans, we must modernize our laws to keep up with this evolving threat to our economic and national security.