Witness List for Thursday Cybersecurity Hearing

The witness list for the hearing on transportation cybersecurity that I described yesterday is now available on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s hearing web site. The list of witnesses includes:

• Cordell Schachter, DOT,

• Larry Grossman, FAA,

• Victoria Newhouse, TSA,

• Rear Admiral John W. Mauger, USCG,

• Kevin Dorsey, DOT IG, and

• Nick Marinos, GAO

This is a very interesting line up. I suspect that this will be two different panels. The first three witnesses would look at pending TSA cybersecurity regulations for the aviation sector. The last two witnesses would be there to talk about potential DOT oversight of cybersecurity. But that leaves Admiral Mauger as the odd man out.

The CG has become more and more proactive about cybersecurity matters as part of their Maritime Transportation Security Act programs. I suspect that the Admiral is being included to show that the safety folks are capable of handling cybersecurity and do not need interference from TSA. I am not sure the CG’s point of view really supports that since security is part of their military mission.

This hearing also points out the cybersecurity oversight issue (okay, any kind of security oversight) in Congress. Transportation and Infrastructure has (obviously) transportation oversight responsibilities. Since the TSA impacts transportation, they share some oversight of TSA with the House Homeland Security Committee. T&I wants more cybersecurity responsibility (okay… authority) and if they can keep TSA out and make cybersecurity a modal agency responsibility, they will get that authority.

It should be an interesting hearing.