U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) expanded his ongoing investigation on Wednesday into steps federal agencies are taking to better protect banks around the world against cybersecurity threats after multiple attacks against the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.
“As the attacks on the SWIFT system raise important questions about the ability of member banks to prevent future attacks, Congress has a responsibility to continue to strengthen cybersecurity in the United States, including ensuring that the system used by our banks to engage in cross-border transactions is secure,” Carper said. “International financial institutions, including central banks, also have a responsibility to ensure that they stay one step ahead of cyber threats to protect the security of the global financial system.”
As part of his expanded investigation, Carper sent letters to Bank for International Settlements (BIS) General Manager Jamie Caruana and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson questioning how the entities are responding to the recent attacks and steps they are taking to safeguard against future attacks.
Carper previously sent letters to Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley and SWIFT Managing Director Patrick Antonacci as part of his investigation. Both entitles have until Jun. 17 to formally respond to Carper’s request.