WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Democrats have slamed the Bush administration for lagging on cyber-security issues.
Several Democratic senators Thursday assailed the administration over its failure to fill a Cabinet-level post it created last July within the Homeland Security Department for a cyber security czar, National Journal's Technology Daily reported.
In the wake of several high-profile data breaches at government agencies this year, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said the administration had been reckless in its refusal to fill the position in a timely manner. He said individuals whose personal information had been compromised had paid the price for such mistakes.
"I wish we were just talking about security," Leahy said. "Unfortunately we're talking about incompetence."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was hypocritical for lawmakers to demand that private companies secure and protect the personal information of individuals when the government itself had been so careless, Technology Daily said.
The theft of a laptop computer belonging to the Veterans Affairs Department this spring exposing the personal information of more than 26 million Americans is the "tip of the iceberg," Schumer said. The computer was recovered last month. He added that data breaches at the Agriculture, Energy and Health and Human Services departments indicate complacency at all levels of government.
According to Schumer, the Bush administration missed a crucial opportunity after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to establish measures to protect American's information technology infrastructure.
"The administration completely overlooked the pink gorilla in the room -- cyberspace," Schumer said.
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL, said the Department of Homeland Security's inaction on cyber security was demonstrative of its overall inadequacy. He said the department's response to hurricanes in his state during the past several years had been inexcusable. He called its management of cyber security "unconscionable," the report said.
