Pfluger questions experts on cybersecurity threats at committee hearing

Politics
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U.S. Rep. August Pfluger Representing the 11th District of Texas | Twitter Website

Congressman August Pfluger, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, recently questioned cybersecurity experts during a full-committee hearing. The session was titled “Unconstrained Actors: Assessing Global Cyber Threats to the Homeland.”

The panel of witnesses included Adam Meyers from CrowdStrike, retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Brandon Wales from SentinelOne, and Kemba Walden from Paladin Global Institute.

In his remarks, Chairman Pfluger stressed the need for preparedness against cyber threats. He stated, “I appreciate this hearing and I will get right into it. When you look back at [cyberthreats such as] Volt Typhoon, Storm-0558, Salt Typhoon, and the list goes on and on, I am obviously worried about critical infrastructure not just in my own district that includes energy production, but also that of which affects every other aspect of our lives.”

Pfluger raised concerns regarding government responses to cyber threats like Salt Typhoon—a group linked to the Chinese Communist Party that targeted U.S. telecommunications. He emphasized the necessity for a single lead agency to handle cyber threats.

During the hearing, Pfluger discussed his proposed legislation called the Securing Every Vector, Enhancing Networks (SEVEN) Act. This act aims to bolster America's defenses against cyber threats targeting the Signaling System 7 (SS7) telecommunications protocol by coordinating government efforts and forming a task force of cybersecurity experts.

Upon introducing this legislation last Congress, Pfluger remarked, “Our adversaries around the globe are exploiting vulnerabilities in the digital backbone of our telecommunications infrastructure to spy on everyday Americans. The SEVEN Act will ensure the safety of U.S. networks by establishing a dedicated task force to address this issue head-on. We must act swiftly to protect our national security.”

SS7 is an essential global telecommunication protocol used for call routing and messaging but is known for its vulnerabilities. Hackers with access can exploit SS7 to intercept communications and track locations. In June, Representatives Pfluger and Weber sent a letter to both the Federal Communications Commission and CISA after unauthorized attempts were made to access user location data through SS7 in the U.S.

By addressing these issues through legislation like the SEVEN Act, Pfluger seeks to enhance communication security and safeguard national interests.