The officials cite worries stemming from the seemingly never-ending stream of news about cybersecurity threats.

When the House and Senate sit down next week to iron out differences in an annual must-pass defense bill, the fate of Chinese telecom ZTE may be a key wedge issue.

A bipartisan trio of senators have asked the Commerce Department to clarify that U.S. companies are welcome to remove products from their networks made by ZTE.

On the heels of a reported U.S. deal with embattled Chinese telecom company ZTE, American lawmakers rejected a measure that would have directed the Department of Homeland Security to provide more information on any cybersecurity risks posed by the company.

Zombie computer armies are also too easy for attackers to assemble, the tools to mitigate them are too seldom employed, and the market hasn't given companies much reason to try harder, the federal government says.

In the face of malware's growth in both category and character, government experts joined private sector leaders Thursday to formulate better ways to tackle cybersecurity challenges.