Ted Lieu Pushes Congress to Act as NSA Warns of Critical Cyber Vulnerabilities: ‘We Need More Cybersecurity Personnel’

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) called for stronger cybersecurity workforce development after the National Security Agency warned organizations using the programming language PHP about two critical vulnerabilities that could expose their systems to security risks.

Ted Lieu Pushes Cybersecurity Education Bill

On Wednesday, Lieu shared an NSA Cyber warning on X, arguing that artificial intelligence (AI) is intensifying cybersecurity threats and increasing the need for trained professionals.

"AI is supercharging cybersecurity vulnerabilities. We need more cybersecurity personnel," he wrote.

Lieu also highlighted the New Collar Jobs Act, which he introduced with Reps. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), saying the legislation incentivizes cybersecurity education.

"Congress should pass it," Lieu added.

NSA Warns of Critical PHP Vulnerabilities

The NSA Cyber post advised organizations using PHP, a programming language widely used for web applications, to prepare for an update addressing two critical vulnerabilities.

The agency warned that the vulnerabilities could provide "a direct path to the server’s file system or database," potentially putting sensitive information at risk.

The warning did not explicitly link the PHP vulnerabilities to AI.

"If an immediate update is not feasible, it is recommended that organizations take the system offline until it can be fully mitigated," the NSA Cyber post said. The agency added that it would provide more specific guidance shortly.

AI is super charging cyber security vulnerabilities. We need more cyber security personnel.

Last year I introduced the New Collar Jobs Act with Reps Norma Torres and Jill Tokuda. The bill incentivizes cyber security education. Congress should pass it.https://t.co/fxFfZm6YyA https://t.co/XKUYleU4oO

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) October 22, 2026

AI Agents Raise Cybersecurity Stakes

Box Inc. (NYSE:BOX) CEO Aaron Levie said AI agents could help identify and patch vulnerabilities, detect threats and protect data, while attackers could use them to accelerate cyberattacks.

He predicted cybersecurity-related AI usage could reach 100 times current expectations.

Cyber is going to be one of the most profound aspects of AI. We now have a tireless workforce that can hunt down, discover, patch, or attack any system and software ever created.

We will use agents to identify the long standing risks in existing systems and infrastructure.… https://t.co/W5de0sTeSa

— Aaron Levie (@levie) October 21, 2026

Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) warned that attackers had begun exploiting the vulnerabilities before a fix was released, with some outdated websites unable to receive updates.

She called for AI safeguards through the FRONTIER Act, corporate liability measures under the CLAIM Act and greater investment in cyber defense.

Today, the NSA warned organizations to patch two critical security flaws in PHP or take their systems offline. PHP is the software behind roughly 7 in 10 websites, from small business storefronts to town, school and government portals.
 
Attackers began exploiting these flaws… https://t.co/CY9I6tEDUS

— Lori Trahan (@RepLoriTrahan) October 21, 2026

AI Leaders Call for Stronger Safety Regulations

Anthropic warned that AI safety remained unresolved and called for stronger oversight and federal safety standards.

Last week, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis cautioned that AI-related cyberattacks could become more serious, while Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) President Brad Smith urged tougher regulations, warning that autonomous AI agents could operate beyond human control.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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