US Senate panel to weigh cybercrime costs

A key US Senate panel announced Tuesday it will hold a March 29 hearing on the economic costs of cyberattacks and cyber crimes like identity theft and hacker strikes on government computers.

The US Senate Commerce Committee said it "will explore how cyber attacks imperil America's economy, as well as examine the private sector's role in protecting networks from cyber exploitation and theft."

"Every day, cyber thieves are stealing our identities, our money, our business innovations and our national security secrets," said the panel's chairman, Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller.

"They are trying to rob us of our economic and global competitiveness, and right now we're not stopping them. There is too much at stake and no time to waste. I am committed to getting a cybersecurity bill passed this year."

The hearing will include testimony from government officials, the private sector, and security specialists.

(c) 2011 AFP