Date: 2003-10-08
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3159. the Government Network Security Act of 2003 closes a loophole in the Federal Governments efforts to protect the security and privacy of its computers. It requires executive branch departments and agencies to take steps to protect government computers and information from the risks that are posed by the use of peertopeer file sharing programs. Peertopeer file sharing programs are Internet applications that allow users to download and directly share electronic files from users on the same network. These programs are surging in popularity with millions of people trading music. images and documents over these networks at any given time. While most of the news coverage on file sharing focuses on the abilities of users to illegally trade copyrighted music. movies and videos. another lesspublicized dark side to this technology is the risk it poses to the security of computers and the privacy of electronic information. Few people recognize these risks. At a hearing held by the Committee on Government Reform in May. members heard from computer security experts who discussed the privacy and security risks created by these programs. And through a couple of simple searches on one filesbaring program. committee staff easily obtained completed tax returns. medical records. confidential legal documents and business files. We learned that using these programs can be sinilar to giving a complete stranger access to your personal file cabinet. Consequently. file sharing programs can create a number of risks for Federal departments at agencies if they are installed on government computers. The Federal Government uses and stores a wide variety of classified and sensitive information. including information vital to national security. vital to public health and the personal and financial records of U.S. citizens and businesses. Installing these programs on government computers can cause this sensitive information to be exposed to the public. Because files are shared anonymously on peertopeer networks. there is also the risk of the spread of viruses worms and other malicious computer files. Mr. Speaker. both the House and the Senate have successfully taken steps to protect congressional computers through both technical and nontechnical means including firewalls and employee training. Unlike Congress. however. executive branch departments and agencies do not have similar policies. This legislation requires agencies to develop and implement such policies to protect government information and computers. Filesharing technology is not inherently bad and it may turn out to have a variety of beneficial implications. H.R. 3159 recognizes this by protecting the ability of Federal agencies to pursue innovations of peertopeer technology on government networks. as long as they do not put government information or computers at risk. This bill takes a common sense approach to protect the computers and networks of the Federal Government and the valuable information they contain. I want to commend the gentleman from California . the distinguished ranking member on the Committee on Government Reform. and his ataff for their work on this bill. setting up the hearing. and really calling this to our attention. I also want to recognize all the 28 members of the Committee on Government Reform who have cosponsored this legislation. This bill is an excellent followup to the committees bipartisan investigations into the risk of using file sharing programs. Mr. Speaker. I urge all Members to support H.R. 3159. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.