Orrin Hatch: “As the Senate turns its focus to legislation related to the critical issue of our Nation's cyber security and in the…”

“As the Senate turns its focus to legislation related to the critical issue of our Nation's cyber security and in the light of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit last month, I would like to reflect on America's security in cyber space. As the global economy becomes increasingly dependent on the Internet, the exponential increase in the number and scale of cyber attacks and cyber thefts are straining our relationship with international trading partners throughout the world. This is especially true for our important trade relationship with China. This year alone, the United States has experienced some of the largest cyber attacks in our Nation's history--many of which are believed to have been perpetrated by the Chinese. Just last February, hackers breached the customer records of the health insurance company Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Many news sources reported that China was responsible for the attack. This cyber attack resulted in the theft of approximately 80 million customers' personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers and information that can be used for identity theft. In the early summer, cyber criminals also hacked United Airlines, compromising manifest data that detailed the movement of millions of Americans. According to the news media, China was again believed to have been responsible. But the most devastating cyber attack this year was on the U.S. Government's Office of Personnel Management.…”