{"id":23524,"date":"2019-12-04T21:43:45","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T21:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/04\/heres-what-senators-learned-about-the-ransomware-threat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:06:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:06:30","slug":"heres-what-senators-learned-about-the-ransomware-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/home\/2019\/12\/04\/heres-what-senators-learned-about-the-ransomware-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what senators learned about the ransomware threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Members of the Senate\u2019s bipartisan cybersecurity caucus received a classified briefing Dec. 4 on the ransomware threat and how Congress can help businesses, states and local governments mitigate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senators heard from Chris Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency \u2014 an agency tasked with protecting the nation\u2019s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. Senators who attended said the briefing was productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday\u2019s classified briefing was a helpful conversation to aid us in grappling with the complexities of the threats we face and what we can do to address them,\u201d said Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who recently joined the caucus, in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said that senators learned the ransomware was \u201cwidespread and increasing.” He also said that they learned that companies and state and local governments \u201chave to take active measures\u201d to protect themselves<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the outstanding question is what exactly the federal government can do to help states and companies recover from ransomware attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe federal government can\u2019t provide support for every institution in America that\u2019s subject to ransomware,” said King, speaking to Fifth Domain just off the Senate floor. “They\u2019ve got to protect themselves. We can provide guidance, a template, information … and I think that\u2019s the direction that we\u2019ll be moving in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t