Sean Lyngaas writes that Gortney raised his cybersecurity concerns in a July 10 Senate panel hearing on his nomination to lead the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
During the hearing, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) asked Gortney which agency or agencies should be responsible for ensuring the security of cyber systems.
“For our civilian infrastructure, to be honest, sir, Homeland Security has that responsibility,” Gortney said in response to Reed’s question, according to FCW.
“And it is my professional opinion that we⦠as a nation are behind in our ability to defend that critical infrastructure,” he added.
Lyngaas reports that Gortney told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would aim to determine how NORTHCOM and DHS could bolster coordination for responding to cyber attacks.