IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 22

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding Internet security and

‘‘cyberterrorism’’.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 6, 2001

Mr. SAXTON (for himself and Mr. CHAMBLISS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary,

and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding Internet security

and ‘‘cyberterrorism’’.

Whereas computer networks and the Internet are becoming

an integral part of our society—in 1992 there were 50

sites on the World Wide Web, there are now over 3.6 million sites;

Whereas computer networks and the Internet have become

vital in the dissemination of information between individuals, governmental agencies, and academic institutions;

Whereas computer networks and the Internet are increasingly

used for electronic commerce and have the potential to
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account for a significant share of the United States economy;

Whereas an estimated 1 to 2 million people in the United

States used the Internet for some type of commercial

transaction in 1995;

Whereas over 4 million people were using electronic commerce in mid-1997, according to the Department of Commerce;

Whereas this number had increased to 10 million users by

the end of 1997, according to the Department of Commerce;

Whereas the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce

has estimated that United States retail electronic commerce sales for the fourth quarter of 1999 (October

through December) totalled approximately $5.3 billion;

Whereas a study commissioned by the Department of Commerce estimates that electronic commerce in business-tobusiness transactions will increase from $131 billion in

1999 to $1.5 trillion by 2003;

Whereas computer networks, electronic mail, and the Internet

are increasingly used to manage and operate critical infrastructures such as banking and finance, energy production and distribution, transportation, and national defense;

Whereas computer network and Internet security has become

vital to ensure the delivery of goods and services;

Whereas young ‘‘hackers’’ are not the only security threat to

computer networks and the Internet;
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Whereas terrorists groups and criminal syndicates also possess the capability to undermine the security and integrity of computer networks and the Internet;

Whereas the number of nations—including many opposed to

United States interests at home and abroad—incorporating ‘‘Information Operations’’ as part of their military capability and doctrine is growing;

Whereas the protection of the Nation’s critical electronic infrastructures is not solely under the purview of the Government, but private industry also has some measure of

responsibility;

Whereas the President’s National Plan for Information Systems Protection would help to protect computer networks

and the Internet from ‘‘cyber attacks’’;

Whereas it is important to fund entities designed to combat

‘‘cyber attacks’’, such as the National Infrastructure Protection Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,

the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office of the Department of Commerce, and other programs within the

Department of Defense, the National Security Agency,

and the Central Intelligence Agency; and

Whereas the legal framework for the prosecution of

‘‘cyberterrorists’’ is not comprehensive and does not reflect the current capabilities for wrongdoing: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) designates cyberterrorism as an emerging

4 threat to the national security of the United States
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1 which has the potentiality to cause great harm to

2 the Nation’s critical electronic infrastructure; and

3 (2) calls for—

4 (A) a partnership between the Federal

5 Government and private industry in combatting

6 the ‘‘cyber menace’’;

7 (B) a revised legal framework for the pros8 ecution of ‘‘hackers’’ and ‘‘cyberterrorists’’; and

9 (C) a new interagency study to be con10 ducted by the Departments of Commerce and

11 Defense, the National Security Agency, the

12 Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal

13 Bureau of Investigation to assess the threat

14 posed by ‘‘cyberterrorists’’.

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