COMBATING CYBER CRIMINALS REQUIRES PUBLIC, PRIVATE SECTOR COOPERATION.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski:

By U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

Earlier this month, we learned that hackers repeatedly penetrated the computer networks of the company that runs the Nasdaq Stock Market. There were similar reports last week concerning probes of the London Stock Exchange. This is an alarming development.

It shows just how vulnerable and insecure some of the world's largest exchange companies' networks are - and these exchanges are the foundation of our economy. If the Nasdaq and London Stock Exchanges are at risk, it's easy to see how susceptible everyday consumers are. In 2009, American consumers lost $560 million to cyber crime - and more money is being processed online every day.

These attacks also demonstrate the growing sophistication of cyber criminals' hacking capabilities - they are no longer just focusing on manipulating ATMs and online bank accounts for quick financial gains. An attack on the NASDAQ network raises serious concerns about the safety of other critical networks, like our power grid and air-traffic control systems.

The Internet has created virtual doors into our lives, finances, businesses, and national security. Cyber spies, thieves and thugs are constantly testing the doorknobs, looking for a way in.

That's why Congress, the FBI and our partners in intelligence, law enforcement, the private sector and academia are working together to raise awareness of cyber threats and combat cyber schemes. Since 2008, Congress has invested $136 million in the FBI for the Comprehensive National Cyber Security Initiative, which has hired 560 new agents and intelligence analysts dedicated to identifying and investigating cyber threats.

Working with overseas law enforcement partners, the FBI is making progress - not only at identifying global cyber crime rings, but disrupting their activities as well. In 2010 alone, the FBI arrested a record 202 cyber crooks and disrupted five of the world's top cyber crime groups, responsible for more than $1 billion damages worldwide.

But even as we make progress, cyber criminals are adjusting their tactics. The government can't go it alone in staying ahead of cyber thieves. We all have a role to play.

We've got to tap into American ingenuity in our private sector to beat the cyber thieves. It's a reservoir of technological innovation we can use to defeat advanced, persistent treats to our infrastructure. As a result, the private sector is - and will continue to be - heavily targeted by cyber thieves for their intellectual property, source code and over-the-horizon research.

But you don't have to have a Ph.D. or CEO to be a cyber warrior. Anyone who uses a computer can help make sure our virtual front doors are locked. Last year, in fact, I was a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's Cyber Security Task Force. We found that even basic cyber upkeep--like changing your passwords frequently and keeping anti-virus software current--will bring most cyber threats to a halt. Reporting illegal activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov also helps law enforcement track criminals and shut them down.

Together, we can manage the risks cyber criminals pose and make their costs of doing business more than they are willing to bear.

U.S Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) is chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.