NATIONAL SECURITY -- August 6, 2012 at 10:55 AM EDT

How Vulnerable Is America Online: Send Us Your Questions

By: News Desk

The Internet was never designed to be a secure means of communication yet it's become the backbone of the U.S. economy.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are drained from corporate accounts and technology designs are pilfered ever year by criminal hackers and nation states. Congress failed to pass legislation aimed at beefing up the computer networks used by companies that run America's critical infrastructure.

So what now? Just how exposed to theft and manipulation are computers on the Internet? Margaret Warner will interview on Wednesday Joel Brenner, the author of "America the Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digital Espionage, Crime, and Warfare."

Send us your questions in the comments field.

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