Nashville Standard

Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) released a statement before the Cyber Safety Review Board's (CSRB) initial meeting. The CSRB is set to evaluate intrusions into telecommunication networks by a threat actor associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), identified by Microsoft as "Salt Typhoon." According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), this intrusion is ongoing and has affected at least eight U.S. companies.

Chairman Green emphasized the challenge ahead for the CSRB, stating: “As the CSRB begins laying the groundwork for its fourth report today, the Board’s members have an immense task ahead of them. There is no doubt that a nation-state sponsored intrusion of this scale and sophistication into internet service providers is unprecedented and unnerving—something hard to say after the discovery of Volt Typhoon, another PRC state-sponsored threat actor."

He expressed bipartisan concern in Congress regarding the CCP-affiliated threat actor's access to sensitive data. He stressed: “While it is essential to protect sensitive information from our adversaries amid an ongoing law enforcement investigation and a widespread mitigation effort, Americans deserve to know if the phone in their pocket is being used as a weapon in the CCP’s information war."

Green called on affected companies to cooperate fully with investigations: "I urge affected companies to cooperate in this investigation so we have a comprehensive and thorough understanding of this intrusion." He also encouraged timely information sharing among Congress, industry stakeholders, and citizens.

The Chairman anticipates reviewing CSRB findings through hearings once their report is published. He stated: “Once the Board releases its report, I look forward to holding a hearing to examine its findings." Green underscored his commitment to advancing cybersecurity legislation aimed at addressing broader cyber threats facing critical infrastructure.

"We face an urgent threat from our adversaries against technology that underpins our daily lives," he concluded.