Every agency of the United States government has been victimized by cybercrime, according to a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation official.
FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Anderson testified Wednesday during a congressional hearing to examine cybersecurity, terrorism and evolving threats against the American homeland.
Anderson said since 2002 the F.B.I. has seen an 80 percent increase in the number of computer hacking cases, and federal agencies have not been immune. But he requested to discuss the full details of the cyber-attacks in a closed committee session.
The F.B.I. says online attacks have cost the United States money, ideas, and innovation. It says the attacks are perpetrated by spies, international crime syndicates, terrorists, and hacktivist groups.
F.B.I. Director James Comey has made cybercrime one of the agency's top priorities, and according to Anderson, the F.B.I. is stepping up its cyber capabilities in much the same way as it enhanced its security and intelligence capabilities in the wake of 9/11.
For state and local law enforcement, the F.B.I. has launched the Cyber Shield Alliance. Anderson described the website as a one-stop shop offering cyber training and the ability to share information on cyber-attacks directly with the F.B.I.
Anderson said the F.B.I. has also worked to share cybercrime information with other agencies at the federal level, and has increased its work with partners in the private sector. According to Anderson, the agency has received information on cyber-attacks from industry for some time, but was not until recently sharing information back with the private sector.
