House panel laments lack of progress on homeland security technology

House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee members Tuesday voiced their frustration that federal agencies have not done more to develop new technologies to improve homeland security.

Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Greenwood, R-Pa., said the hearing was a continuation of a 10-month investigation that has shown the federal government has not provided sufficient assistance to entities working on homeland security technologies.

"Indeed, we have been unable to find any federal agency that believes it has the responsibility to do so," Greenwood said.

The subcommittee also found that government's research and development efforts are "not sufficiently focused and coordinated," with redundancy at various agencies, he said.

Cyberattacks are the biggest concern for critical infrastructure protection, said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La. "The next attack on America will occur today," said Tauzin, citing a radio report today that said the nation sustains an average of 30 cyberattacks per day. Some are attempts to probe for sensitive placements around the country that could be attacked, he said.

John Tritak, director of the Commerce Department's Critical Information Assurance Office, stressed that a robust economy is important to national security, and that the new department would create efficiencies.

Robert Dacey, GAO's director of information security issues, said it is necessary to develop a national critical infrastructure protection strategy, noting that one will be issued in the coming months. Also needed are better analytical and warning capabilities, improved information sharing, and addressing ongoing weaknesses in federal information security.

Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., said the Homeland Security Department proposal "underemphasized" and is "unclear" on research and development. She cautioned against naming one agency to conduct all research and development for homeland security. Another "critical weakness" in the bill is its failure to address the long-term outlook for basic and applied research, she said.