U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary nominee Kirstjen Nielsen about border security at both the northern and south borders and protecting Americans’ privacy and cybersecurity.
During today’s hearing on Nielsen’s nomination in the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Daines discussed the cyber threat facing Columbia Falls, Montana.
“Recently the Columbia Falls, Montana school district was hacked from overseas, using the stolen data of children and faculty to make very violent threats and very direct threats. As the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security – if confirmed you’ll lead the whole of the government’s cyber efforts, how will you work to make our citizens and their personal information safer from world-wide attacks,” Daines asked Nielsen.
“When we look at information, the threat has changed. Data breaches continue to this day as you know, but what is perhaps more concerning is the ability of those who would do us harm through the internet to change the integrity of that information or through ransomware and other texts to make it not available,” Nielsen responded.
Click HERE to download Daines’ questioning.
Click HERE to watch Daines’ questioning.
On October 18, 2017, Daines and Nielsen met in his Washington, D.C. and discussed strengthening cybersecurity, specifically addressing the threat facing students and families in the Flathead Valley, combatting meth abuse and securing the Northern border and Southern border. During the meeting, Daines hand-delivered a letter to Nielsen outlining the challenges facing DHS and invited her to visit Montana’s Northern border.
On October 11, 2017, Daines released a statement on Nielsen’s nomination noting that he looked forward to a quick Senate confirmation without partisan politics.
Daines is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which has jurisdiction for DHS including nominations subject to Senate confirmation.
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