As an early investor in the cellular telephone business, Senator Warner co-founded the company that became Nextel and invested in hundreds of start-up technology companies. Leaning on this background, Senator Warner has used his position in the Senate to promote policies that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the cyber domain. Recognizing that no individual body in the United States Senate was uniquely focused on addressing the growing cyber threats faced by consumers, government and private entities, Senator Warner co-founded the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus in 2016.

With over 20 billion interconnected devices expected online by 2020, the challenge of securing our home and business networks will be made even more difficult in the years to come. Senator Warner understands that this explosion of devices with expanded capability and connectivity—known as the “Internet of Things”—makes us both more intertwined and more vulnerable. And in the wake of hacks affecting a broad range of private and public entities like the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Target, Anthem, and Yahoo, Senator Warner has been a leader in calling for the protection of consumers’ personal information and timely disclosure of data breaches. He has advocated for resources within the federal government that will put our federal and local governments on a more secure cyber footing. Virginia has the largest cybersecurity workforce in the country and is home to many of the most sophisticated cybersecurity missions in the federal government. Senator Warner has worked to implement policies that will help Virginia and the rest of the country meet the need for a well-trained cyber workforce.