Jim Sensenbrenner: “today, in a bipartisan effort, the Committee on Science brings to the floor H.R. 1903, the Computer Security Enhancement…”

“today, in a bipartisan effort, the Committee on Science brings to the floor H.R. 1903, the Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997. The Computer Security Act of 1987 gave authority over computer and communication security standards in Federal civilian agencies to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997 strengthens that authority and directs funds to implement practices and procedures which will ensure that the Federal standard-setting process remains strong, despite its increasing reliance on a network infrastructure. The need for this renewed emphasis on the security of Federal civilian agencies is underscored by a recently released report from the General Accounting Office. The 1997 Report on Information Management and Technology highlighted information security as a Governmentwide high-risk issue. It stated that despite having critical functions, Federal systems and data are not adequately protected.”