III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 572 

Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to raising awareness and 

enhancing the state of computer security in the United States, and 

supporting the goals and ideals of National Cyber Security Awareness 

Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 

Mr. BURNS (for himself and Ms. CANTWELL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to raising 

awareness and enhancing the state of computer security 

in the United States, and supporting the goals and ideals 

of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. 

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

United States, including over 84,000,000 home-users 

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 


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•SRES 572 IS 

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 classrooms connected to the Internet; 

Whereas having access to the Internet in the classroom enhances the education of our children 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 

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 computer systems, but will also protect the physical 

safety of our children, 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; 

Whereas teens should be taught how to avoid potential 

threats like cyber bullies, online predators, and identity 

thieves that they may encounter while using cyber services; 

Whereas the critical infrastructure of our Nation relies on the 

secure and reliable operation of information networks to 


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•SRES 572 IS 

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

Whereas cyber security is a critical part of the overall homeland security of our Nation, 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; 

Whereas the mission of the Department of Homeland Security includes securing the homeland against cyber terrorism and other attacks; 

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 computer systems; 

Whereas, according to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, since 

February 2005, over 90,000,000 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 the citizens of the United States; 

Whereas consumers face significant financial and personal 

privacy losses due to identity theft and fraud, as reported 

in over 686,000 consumer complaints in 2005 received by 


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•SRES 572 IS 

the Consumer Sentinel database operated by the Federal 

Trade Commission; 

Whereas Internet-related complaints in 2005 accounted for 

46 percent of all reported fraud complaints received by 

the Federal Trade Commission; 

Whereas the total amount of monetary losses for such Internet-related complaints exceeded $680,000,000, with a 

median loss of $350 per complaint; 

Whereas the youth of our Nation face increasing threats online such as inappropriate content or child predators; 

Whereas, 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 

1 in 7 children report having been approached by an online child predator; 

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 the level of computer and national security in the United States; 

Whereas the mission of National Cyber Security Alliance 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 


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•SRES 572 IS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Cyber Security Awareness Month; and 

4 (2) will work with Federal agencies, national or5 ganizations, businesses, and educational institutions 

6 to encourage the development and implementation of 

7 existing and future computer security voluntary con8 sensus standards, practices, and technologies in 

9 order to enhance the state of computer security in 

10 the United States. 

Æ 


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