Senator Rosen Continues Leading The Call To Bolster America’s Cybersecurity Posture To Protect Against Russian Retaliation
LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Jen Easterly requesting additional information following the recent cyberattacks targeting 14 U.S. airport websites, reportedly launched by Russian hackers. The attack on October 10, 2022 by the pro-Russian hacker group Killnet is the most recent attack targeting critical infrastructure in the United States.
“I write to express concern and request information regarding the recent distributed denial of service (DDoS) cyberattacks targeting multiple U.S. airport websites,” wrote Senator Rosen. “This incident is indicative of a broader trend of cyberattacks on American transportation infrastructure, which are escalating in frequency and severity.”
“While, reportedly, this incident did not directly impact airport operations, I am concerned that our nation’s aviation ecosystem remains vulnerable to debilitating cyberattacks, especially as malicious Russian state-sponsored cyber actors threaten additional cyberattacks on the nation’s critical infrastructure,” Senator Rosen continues. “This vulnerability potentially threatens the smooth operation of an air travel system key to tourism-dependent economies across the country.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
As the first and only former computer programmer to serve in the Senate, Senator Rosen has been a leader in the fight to strengthen cybersecurity for American critical infrastructure and defend the United States from cyberattacks. Most recently, her bipartisan Healthcare Cybersecurity Act, which would improve cybersecurity in the Health Care and Public Health Sector, advanced out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Rosen has introduced bipartisan bills to bolster the cybersecurity of medical devices and records from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Earlier this year, she led a bipartisan group of 22 senators in a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asking for a briefing on how the Department of Homeland Security is protecting Americans from possible Russian cyberattacks.
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