H. Res. 993

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

November 14, 2006.

Whereas over 205,000,000 Americans use the Internet in the 

United States, including more than 84,000,000 homeusers through broadband connections, to communicate 

with family and friends, manage their finances, pay their 

bills, improve their education, shop at home, and read 

about current events; 

Whereas the approximately 26,000,000 small businesses in 

the United States, who represent 99.7 percent of all 

United States employers and employ 50 percent of the 

private work force, increasingly rely on the Internet to 

manage their businesses, expand their customer reach, 

and enhance their connection with their supply chain; 

Whereas according to the Department of Education, nearly 

100 percent of public schools in the United States have 

Internet access, with approximately 93 percent of instructional rooms connected to the Internet, to enhance our 

children’s education by providing access to educational 

online content and encouraging responsible self-initiative 

to discover research resources; 

Whereas according to the Pew Institute, almost 9 in 10 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17, or 87 percent of 

all youth (approximately 21,000,000 people) use the 
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Internet, and 78 percent (or about 16,000,000 students) 

say they use the Internet at school; 

Whereas teen use of the Internet at school has grown 45 percent since 2000, and educating children of all ages about 

safe, secure, and ethical practices will not only protect 

their systems, but will protect our children’s physical 

safety, and help them become good cyber citizens; 

Whereas the growth and popularity of social networking 

websites have attracted millions of teenagers, providing 

them with a range of valuable services, teens must be 

taught how to avoid potential threats like cyber bullies, 

predators and identity thieves they may come across 

while using such services; 

Whereas our Nation’s critical infrastructures rely on the secure and reliable operation of our information networks 

to support our Nation’s financial services, energy, telecommunications, transportation, health care, and emergency response systems; 

Whereas cyber security is a critical part of our Nation’s overall homeland security, in particular the control systems 

that control and monitor our drinking water, dams, and 

other water management systems; our electricity grids, 

oil and gas supplies, and pipeline distribution networks; 

our transportation systems; and other critical manufacturing processes; 

Whereas terrorists and others with malicious motives have 

demonstrated an interest in utilizing cyber means to attack our Nation, and the Department of Homeland Security’s mission includes securing the homeland against 

cyber terrorism and other attacks; 
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Whereas Internet users and our information infrastructure 

face an increasing threat of malicious attacks through viruses, worms, Trojans, and unwanted programs such as 

spyware, adware, hacking tools, and password stealers, 

that are frequent and fast in propagation, are costly to 

repair, and disable entire systems; 

Whereas according to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, since 

February 2005, over 90 million records containing personally-identifiable information have been breached, and 

the overall increase in serious data breaches in both the 

private and public sectors are threatening the security 

and well-being of United States citizens; 

Whereas consumers face significant financial and personal 

privacy losses due to identity theft and fraud, as reported 

in over 686,000 complaints in 2005 to the Federal Trade 

Commission’s Consumer Sentinel database; and Internetrelated complaints in 2005 accounted for 46 percent of 

all reported fraud complaints, with monetary losses of 

over $680,000,000 and a median loss of $350; 

Whereas our Nation’s youth face increasing threats online 

such as inappropriate content or child predators, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited 

Children 34 percent of teens are exposed to unwanted 

sexually explicit material on the Internet, and with one 

in seven children having been approached by a child predator online each year; 

Whereas national organizations, policymakers, government 

agencies, private sector companies, nonprofit institutions, 

schools, academic organizations, consumers, and the 

media recognize the need to increase awareness of computer security and enhance our level of computer and national security in the United States; 
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Whereas the National Cyber Security Alliance’s mission is to 

increase awareness of cyber security practices and technologies to home users, students, teachers, and small 

businesses through educational activities, online resources 

and checklists, and Public Service Announcements; and 

Whereas the National Cyber Security Alliance has designated 

October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, 

which will provide an opportunity to educate the people 

of the United States about computer security: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Cyber 

Security Awareness Month; and 

(2) will work with Federal agencies, national organizations, businesses, and educational institutions to encourage the development and implementation of existing 

and future computer security voluntary consensus standards, practices, and technologies in order to enhance the 

state of computer security in the United States. 

Attest:

Clerk.