Senate Armed Services Committee launches new subcommittee on cybersecurity

In response to the rapid increase in attacks on the nation’s cyber infrastructure, the Senate Armed Services Committee recently formed a new subcommittee on cybersecurity for the 115h Congress.

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) was named as the subcommittee’s chair, while U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) was named ranking member.

“It is an honor to be chosen to chair this important subcommittee, which will be tasked with oversight and legislation for policies and programs relating to the Defense Department’s cyber forces and capabilities,” Rounds said. “Of particular concern to me is the Defense Department’s role in responding to an attack on our nation’s civilian critical infrastructure and in deterring bad actors from conducting such an attack in the first place.”

Nelson said that in addition to ensuring proper policies, strategies and resources are in place to defend U.S. cyber infrastructure, the new subcommittee will hold the administration accountable if it fails to respond to a future attack.

“You can’t just sit on your hands and do nothing,” Nelson said. “If we’re going to deter our enemies from attacking us, we have to make it painfully obvious that the consequences are going to be so severe that they won’t want to do it in the first place.”