Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., are calling for senators to report if they have been hacked at the end of each year.
The duo pointed out that the Senate is considered a “prime target” for cyber breaches noting that several high profile cyberattacks have already been carried out against government agencies including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), health care firms such as Anthem and even tech giants like Google, in a letter to U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael C. Stenger dated March 13.
“We understand that details of specific incidents may need to remain confidential, however, providing senators with aggregate statistics about successful cyber attacks would enable the Senate to engage in informed debate about the security threats faced by the legislative branch and consequently, the need for the Senate to fund, prioritize and conduct aggressive oversight over its own cybersecurity,” the letter said.
In order to do this the senators proposed each senator compile statistics revealing senate computers that have been compromised and hackers that have gained access to sensitive Senate data. The letter also calls for them to commit to a policy of promptly informing Senate leadership and all of its members of the Senate Committees on Rules and Intelligence of any breach of a Senate computer.
