Leahy's Computer Crime Bill Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

June 13, 1996

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously adopted Senator Patrick Leahy's proposal to protect computer networks from "hackers" and "thieves" on the Internet. The National Information Infrastructure Protection Act (NIIPA) fills several gaps under current law by adding criminal penalties for hacking into government and private computers.

"This bill is a big step in the right direction," Leahy said. "Computer crime is on the rise and we need to take immediate action to prevent it."

General Accounting Office (GAO) report released last month estimated that as many as 250,000 computer attacks occurred on the Pentagon's defense computers and a startling 65% of those attacks were successful. The GAO report concludes this poses a serious threat to national security and a multi-million dollar expense to the Defense Department.

Leahy pointed to testimony given by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordination Center last week at hearings before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In 1989, CERT responded to 132 security incidents on Internet-connected computers. CERT reported that number jumped to over 2,400 in 1995.

Leahy's provisions derive from a bi-partisan bill he introduced last June, which has been endorsed by the Department of Justice and F.B.I. Leahy's bill builds on his previous efforts to penalize those who would inject viruses into computers and their programs. The NIIPA now comes before the full Senate.