WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines slammed President Obama’s failure to expeditiously inform Congress after yet another security breach occurred at the Internal Revenue Service in January.
“The President has a duty to inform Congress of cyber attacks on federal infrastructure, yet once again has tried to sweep this under the rug,” Daines stated. “It’s no coincidence that on President Obama’s watch, two federal agencies within the past year have suffered large-scale and inexcusable breaches in security. He has failed to demonstrate needed leadership and has neglected to take tangible steps to address these persistent cyberinfrastructure challenges – a failure that has permeated into his chief tax-collecting agency falling victim to a breach in their electronic security. The American people deserve an explanation for why, yet again, the President has failed to take accountability and address this serious threat to Americans’ privacy and our national security.”
Following last summer’s security breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Daines was the first senator to call for the OPM Director to step down. Like many other Americans, Daines received a notice that his information may have been compromised in the breach.
Daines has long been fighting to upgrade our nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure and has repeatedly spoke on the Senate floor to underscore the growing threat of a serious cyber attack from our nation’s enemies.
Before serving in Congress, Daines worked in the technology sector for more than twelve years. He served as vice president of Montana-based RightNow Technologies, a global leader in cloud computing and multi-billion dollar technology company that became Bozeman, Montana’s largest commercial employer.
###