Mitch Landrieu: “I know my friend, the senior Senator from Hawaii, shares my concern about the future threats to our military and nation.…”

“I know my friend, the senior Senator from Hawaii, shares my concern about the future threats to our military and nation. As chairwoman of the Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, it has become very clear to me that while the current threats seem to come from madmen with explosives, tomorrow's terrorists may very well use cyberwarfare. For this reason, Louisiana and Georgia have been participating in a program known as the Picket Fence Initiative. It has brought together the Department of Defense, the Louisiana State Government, the federal presence within the state, as well as industries with responsibility for critical infrastructure. Together, we have established a collaborative network that monitors the types and methodologies of on-going cyber attacks against these systems. Through these efforts, the Department of Defense is learning about the nature and variety of attacks on Louisiana's critical information networks, while companies and the Louisiana State government benefit from improved security technology. It is the kind of cooperative enterprise that should be a model for future homeland defense efforts. This program was authorized this year for $4.5 million, and has been appropriated $2 million in the House mark.”