FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington – Representative Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) has issued the following statement on today’s global malware attack:

"The massive malware attack that hit multiple countries has caused chaos and has shut down vital institutions such as hospitals. It is deeply disturbing the National Security Agency likely wrote the original malware. I have been working on legislation with industry stakeholders and partners in the Senate to address this problem.”

“Our legislation will reform the Vulnerabilities Equities Process, which is how the federal government decides whether to disclose a software vulnerability to the software manufacturer, or instead to keep it secret. Currently the Vulnerabilities Equities Process is not transparent and few people understand how the government makes these critical decisions. Today’s worldwide ransomware attack shows what can happen when the NSA or CIA write malware instead of disclosing the vulnerability to the software manufacturer.”

“I am also working on the issue of how to better ensure that once a software vulnerability is disclosed, it gets patched. As a computer science major, it is clear to me that many of our public and private institutions are woefully unprepared for cyberattacks. We live in a brave new world. The time is now for Congress to seriously address cybersecurity issues."

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