A report that Russian hackers penetrated White House computers and saw non-classified emails is alarming, but not surprising, according to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who says the government faces thousands of attacks every day.
According to government sources
cited by CNN, the hackers didn't get access to classified materials, but still was able to see sensitive information such as real-time nonpublic details of the president's schedule.
"We have a cyber-warfare that is taking place and we have thousands of attacks against critical infrastructure in the country — not every month or every week but every single day," Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
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"We've had like a 5,000 percent increase over the past couple of years in the number of hackings that are taking place. Now, the FBI and technology systems for different companies do a very good job of protecting against many of these.
"But this is one of the reasons we're moving forward with the Data Security Bill and Data Breach Notification Bill that is working its way through Congress.... We have to treat this as warfare now."
The bill, introduced by Reps. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, and Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat, would deputize the Federal Trade Commission, allowing it establish nationwide data security standards for companies handling sensitive data.
That information would include names, Social Security numbers and credit card information. Violations that result in hackers getting to the sensitive records would result in fines of up to $5 million.
According to CNN's report about the White House breach, hackers first managed to hack into State Department computers. They tricked an employee into providing information that gave them a back door into the White House system and eventually the Oval Office.
Hackers have tried various tricks to get into U.S. government systems over the years, including dropping thumb drives in parking lots and government restrooms, where unsuspecting personnel pick them up and put them in home and work computers.
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