PROJO: Reed, Langevin: CIA assessment points to need for cyber-scrutiny

PROJO: Reed, Langevin: CIA assessment points to need for cyber-scrutiny

By Jennifer Bogdan

U.S. Rep James Langevin on Saturday said he was “deeply disturbed” by the CIA’s assessment that Russia intervened in the election to help Donald Trump win the presidency.

The CIA’s assessment, in part, relied on information that people with connections to the Russian government provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails. Langevin, D-R.I., is a longtime proponent of increased cybersecurity.
“It is imperative that our intelligence agencies continue to conduct a thorough review of Russian information-warfare activity to confirm the extent of the operation and the motives of those involved,” Langevin said.

“This incident continues to underscore the immediate need to improve our nation’s cybersecurity as it represents a new front in nation-state conflicts.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the committee will conduct an inquiry next year into Russia’s cyberthreats that could help shed light on Russia’s suspected interference in the election.
Reed, D-R.I., said he hopes the results of any review by the committee could be made public “without jeopardizing intelligence sources or methods.”

Last month, Reed was one of seven U.S. senators on the committee who sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to declassify and release more information about Russia’s involvement in the election.

“We shouldn’t allow any attack on our democratic system to go unchecked,” Reed said.