U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, (R-LA), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee chairman, recently sent a letter to Cisco Systems CEO and chairman Chuck Robbins expressing concerns over recent cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Cisco is the world’s largest network infrastructure provider. On Sept. 25, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency directed federal agencies to disconnect from certain Cisco devices after the discovery of an active cybersecurity threat. At least one federal agency was breached as a result of this vulnerability.
The vulnerabilities are a grave national security threat, Cassidy said, have the potential to expose Americans’ data to China, Russia, and Iran. Cyber crimes resulted in more than $16 billion in losses in 2024, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimate.
“As the largest provider of network infrastructure in the world, Cisco holds a unique position in delivering tools not only to the federal government, but virtually all businesses,” Cassidy said. “These tools connect consumers and businesses to care services, educational tools, and platforms businesses need to operate. Any vulnerability in Cisco’s systems would jeopardize this access for millions of Americans.”
Cassidy requested Cisco answer multiple questions by Oct. 27, including how Cisco is engaging with specific federal agencies.