CybersecuritySenator seeks to end wasteful government cybersecurity spending
Senator Tom Carper (D – Delaware) is actively seeking ways to end wasteful government cybersecurity spending; Carper believes that the government can spend its money more efficiently on IT security; he believes that too many government programs are expensive, inefficient, and do not actually secure government networks; Carper was careful to note that he was not advocating for budget cuts, but rather more efficient spending; Carper has proposed mandating that all agencies only purchase technology that is preconfigured with encryption or other security measures; he is currently working with Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-Connecticut) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on the Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011, which contains many of his proposals
Senator Tom Carper (D – Delaware) is actively seeking ways to end wasteful government cybersecurity spending. As lawmakers struggle to reduce spending and cut the deficit, Senator Carper believes that the government can spend its money more efficiently on IT security.
Carper, who is the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, believes that too many government programs are expensive, inefficient, and do not actually secure government networks.
In an interview with GovInfoSecurity.com, Carper said, “I’m trying to lead an effort in the Senate that helps us to focus on every nook and cranny in the federal government to see if we can better results for less money or better results for not using a whole lot more money.”
In particular, Carper is looking to replace expensive evaluation programs.
“I’m convinced we can get better results if we move away from, I call these paperwork exercises that we pretend like we are evaluating the effectiveness of our security, but it is just really paperwork. We waste about, I don’t know, $1 billion or $2 billion a year on the paperwork, which frankly doesn’t reflect that our cybersecurity protection any better,” he said.
Senator Carper was careful to note that he was not advocating for budget cuts, but rather more efficient spending.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to have to spend money on this, real money on this, but we have to make sure that we’re spending in a way that makes sense,” he said.
He explains, “We would be foolish not to look to use our purchasing power to leverage greater protection built into our technology.”
Critics of this proposal say that this would actually drive up product costs for all consumers by establishing de facto industry standards.
Carper dismissed these objections stating, “To do otherwise would be foolish, and we’ve heard from a lot of folks that are not necessarily representatives of the industry, but people who are very well informed about cybersecurity and how to protect our interest, our sensitive materials, who say, ‘You know, if you’re going to do anything do this.’”
Carper is currently working with Senators Joseph Lieberman (I – Connecticut) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on the Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011, which contains many of his proposals for spending more efficiently.
On Tuesday, 12 April, Carper will chair a hearing to examine how the government can eliminate wasteful spending.
Representatives from various government agencies and the private sector will be called to testify including Vivek Kundra, the chief information officer for the Office of Management and Budget, and Al Grasso, the president and CEO of MITRE Corporation.
