Committee Hearings – Week of 08-19-18

With just the Senate in session this week there will be three cybersecurity related hearings. They will address blockchain, critical infrastructure protection and election security.

Blockchain

On Tuesday the Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on “Energy Efficiency of Blockchain and Similar Technologies”. The witness list includes:

• Paul Skare, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory;

• Thomas Golden, Electric Power Research Institute;

• Claire Henly, Energy Web Foundation;

• Arvind Narayanan, Princeton University; and

• Robert Kahn, Corporation for National Research Initiatives

As with any technical topic like this, it will be interesting to see during the questioning period how well the staff has prepped the Committee Members.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

On Tuesday the Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “Cyber Threats to Our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure”. The witness list includes:

• Sujit Raman, DOJ

• Michael J. Moss, Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

• Robert Kolasky, NPPD, DHS;

• Thomas A. Fanning, Southern Company; and

• James A. Lewis, Center for Strategic and International Studies

I certainly expect that control system security, at least in the energy sector, will receive some attention during this hearing.

Election Cybersecurity

On Wednesday the Rules and Administration Committee will hold a mark-up hearing on S 2593, the Secure Elections Act. Substitute language will be considered. I have not covered this bill here and am only mentioning this hearing in passing.

On the Floor

The Senate will continue working on HR 6157 the DOD spending bill that is being expanded to include Health, Human Services and Education in the substitute language being considered in the Senate. A final vote on this bill is possible this week. No cybersecurity related amendments have been offered to date.