WASHINGTON, DC -- The potential danger of file sharing networks was the topic at a Congressional committee hearing in Washington, DC on Tuesday.

Bob Boback, CEO of Tiversa a Cranberry Internet Security firm, testified before the congressional subcommittee on commerce, trade, and consumer protection.

The committee is considering two bills, H.R. 2221 the Data Accountability and Trust Act, and H.R. 1319, the Informed P2P User Act, which would regulate peer-to-peer file sharing use.

In February, Target 11 first reported on the how sensitive information about the President’s Marine 1 helicopters was found on an IP address in Iran.

In April, Target 11 reported Tiversa found information about a Pentagon jet fighter project on the Internet four years before it was reported in the press.

Boback told members of the subcommittee on Tuesday, “We reported it to the Department of Defense it’s still here, and it’s still out there. The awareness is not where it needs to be, the oversight not where it needs to be.”

Republican Rep. Tim Murphy of the South Hills, is member the subcommittee that held the hearings.

He is also very concerned about these security breaches.

Murphy said, “When we look at what has been released, documents about Marine One, it makes me wonder why anyone trusts any files on computers at all. It is not safe. Portals created by P2P networks are huge. The fact that the Department of Defense keeps anything on any computer that is accessible from outside astounds me.”

It is not just military secrets that are getting out.

Boback said his company does 1.6 billion searches a day, nine times the number of daily Google searches.

In the last few months Boback said Tiversa investigators have seen a 60 percent increase in searches for information like for financial records, social security numbers that can be used for identify theft and fraud.

Boback said, “Consumers are not aware of these problems. They need to know their information is out there and sought after on an enormous scale."

Previous stories :
Fighter Jet Security Leak First Found By Pittsburgh-Area Firm

White House Reaction To Possible Security Breach
Marine One Security Breach
Watch Rick Earle On MSNBC Talking About Security Leak
Find Out More About Dangers Of File-Sharing Networks
File Sharing Web Sites Can Expose Users To Identity Thieves
Local High-Tech Company Tracks Down Terrorist, Identity Thieves
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Growing Rapidly