NEW: Langevin Announces Cyber Priorities Bills Pass the House
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, applauded House passage today by wide margins of legislation he cosponsored to strengthen the nation’s online security. The bills would implement recommendations he has fought for since they were included in the initial report by the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, which Langevin co-chaired.
While Langevin has emphasized that strengthening cybersecurity requires minimum security standards for critical infrastructure, a system that allows the sharing of cyber threat information between the public and private sectors to increase situational awareness, and a central cybersecurity coordinator with budgetary authority across the federal government, the two bills passed today would help meet urgent needs.
The Federal Information Security Amendments Act (H.R. 1163), similar to a proposal Langevin offered that passed the House on a bipartisan basis in 2010, would establish a mechanism for stronger oversight of federal agency practices through a focus on automated and continuous monitoring of cybersecurity threats and the implementation of regular threat assessments.
The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (H.R. 756) would advance cybersecurity research and development, expand and train the cybersecurity workforce, strengthen partnerships between the Federal Government and the private sector, increase public awareness of cybersecurity, and promote the development of international cybersecurity technical standards.
“As we are constantly reminded, today’s threat may not be tomorrow’s, due to the prodigious rate of technological innovation,” said Langevin during debate on the House floor of H.R. 756. “This bill before us today encourages coordination between federal agencies tasked with cyber research and development and requires them to develop a strategic plan for R&D activities.
“Success in this area demands a skilled cyber workforce, something that we currently lack. This bill takes an important first step in correcting our course by reauthorizing NSF graduate fellowships in cybersecurity and requiring the President to issue a report addressing our critical cyber workforce shortage.”
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