Chinese Surveillance Balloon Reminds Biden Admin the Importance of Cybersecurity
For Immediate Release Contact: Abigail Graham: (202) 417-7235
February 6, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a Chinese surveillance balloon crossing the United States airspace last week, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation’s (TPAF) App Security Project continues to remind both the Biden administration and Americans across the nation of the importance of cybersecurity.
In response, Patrick Hedger, TPAF Executive Director, offered the following comment:
“The Chinese Surveillance balloon is another glaring reminder of the nation’s need to maintain strong national security on all fronts—including online. Threats abound and America’s adversaries are looking to exploit any weakness. Now is not the time to let our guard down. It is time to reinforce strong cybersecurity protections on our devices and protect Americans’ safety from bad state actors.
“The Biden administration has for a while now, pushed for misguided antitrust proposals in the tech sector that would weaken the security of Americans devices. Just as there was a vulnerability in the air that China potentially took advantage of, malicious actors in the digital space will go after any opening to violate the data privacy of millions of smart phones.
“This balloon should be a wakeup call to any politician who has handwaved away cybersecurity concerns with current legislation. This should be a foremost concern for policy leaders.”
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Published on February 6, 2023