Langevin Statement on Citigroup Hack

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement in reaction to the report that computer hackers breached Citigroup Inc’s network and obtained data of about 200,000 North American bank card holders. Citigroup also provides banking services to the US government.

Statement by Congressman Langevin:

“I was shocked by the report that Citigroup knew that their customers’ data was potentially exposed back in early May, but is only now, a full month later, informing the public about this threat to their personal information. Citigroup has a large customer base, including many government clients, and the reports of this incident by the press are highly concerning.

“The recent intrusions into RSA, Google, and Sony show that even the best in the business are susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities. However, when companies come forward as quickly as possible, it limits damage to their customers and helps maintain the public’s trust in their services. I expect to hear more from Citigroup as to the nature of the intrusion and the steps taken to limit exposure of the data of government and private citizens.

“The government must also work harder to be good stewards of the public’s personal data. Many of our federal systems with large amounts of personal data are outdated, with inadequate security practices. Legislation I have introduced would require strong, verifiable cybersecurity policies that would allow our government to protect sensitive information from criminal intrusions, malicious disruptions, or even large scale attacks against our federal networks. We must move more quickly to address this issue.”