House committee to address Department of Homeland Security cyberincidents

Scott Charbo, chief information officer of the DHS, is expected to testify before the US House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity hearing titled "Hacking the Homeland: Investigating Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities at the Department of Homeland Security."

The call for a hearing came after officials told Congress that DHS has experienced more than 800 cyberincidents — including computer intrusions, virus and worm outbreaks, infected websites and data leaks — from 2005 to 2006, according to published reports. The committee also is expected to address IT budget concerns within DHS.

Also scheduled to testify are two Government Accountability Office officials: Gregory Wilshusen, director of information security issues, and Keith Rhodes, director of the Center for Technology and Engineering.

Earlier this year, DHS scored a "D" on Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) scorecards, up from a failing grade the prior year. The scores are based on FISMA audits of all federal agencies.

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