The U.S. has a tough challenge in detecting and deflecting cyber attacks after years of neglecting defenses against them, testimony at a congressional hearing disclosed on Tuesday. At the hearing, called by the House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science and Technology, witnesses said cyber attacks hit every part of the government's computer systems. And there is no concerted policy to deal with these attacks.

The issue is complicated more by the tension that has been building between the Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies, as well as because of questions about what role the private sector should play in dealing with the threat.

Amit Yoran, chairman and CEO of NetWitness and former director of the National Cyber Security Division of the Department of Homeland Security, testified that the while intelligence community's input is important, "an effective national cybersecurity effort must leverage intelligence community's superior acumen but is in grave peril if controlled by intelligence community."

The hearing comes as federal officials are conducting a 60-day review of U.S. cybersecurity policy in an effort to determine what kind of policy to implement.

For more on the cybersecurity threat:
 - check out this InformationWeek article