A group of Democratic and Republican senators have introduced a new bill to help states deal with cybersecurity threats with the help of federally funded coordinators.
The bill, introduced by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Gary Peters (D-MI), would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish a Cybersecurity State Coordinator program.
Under the program, each state would have its own federally funded Cybersecurity Coordinator to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats by working with federal, state, and local governments as well as schools, hospitals, and other entities, Senator Hassan’s office said on its website.
“Cyberattacks can be devastating for communities across our country, from ransomware attacks that can block access to school or medical records to cyberattacks that can shut down electrical grids or banking services,” said Senator Hassan.
“When New Hampshire’s Strafford County and Sunapee School District were hit by ransomware attacks this past year, officials had systems in place to mitigate damage. But as they made clear to me, the federal government needs to do more to ensure that state and local entities have the resources and training that they need to prevent and respond to cyberattacks,” she emphasized.
The measure would take a big step forward in improving communication between the federal government, states, and localities, as well as strengthening cybersecurity preparedness in communities across the country, the senator said.
According to The Hill, the Democratic Senator is working with House members to facilitate a companion bill.
“With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and formidable every day, it’s vital that states have a point person responsible for coordinating cybersecurity efforts with experts in the federal government,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“These coordinators would help states better understand relevant threats, access federal cybersecurity resources and respond to potential attacks. I’m proud to cosponsor this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, which will help to ensure that all levels of government are prepared to combat cyber criminals and protect their networks.”
The Cybersecurity State Coordinator program would be housed in the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to a new release.
The State Coordinators would perform key functions to improve coordination within federal entities and between federal and non-federal entities, including state and local governments and other organizations, support preparation, response, and remediation efforts relating to cybersecurity risks and incidents, including ransomware, facilitate the sharing of cyber threat information and raise awareness of financial, technical, and operational resources that the federal government offers to non-federal entities to help prevent cyber threats.
