The National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013 introduced by Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) was approved on Friday by the House Homeland Security Committee.
The bill, which Meehan introduced with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), would strengthen the nation’s critical infrastructure networks by codifying and providing oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity missions.
Meehan, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, said there have been numerous high-profile cybersecurity breaches among retailers that have compromised security data for millions of customers, and it’s only a matter of time before financial networks or power grids are targeted.
“The federal government’s response to the cyber threat has so far been haphazard,” Meehan said. “The bipartisan legislation passed by the committee (on Friday) will codify the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to protect our networks against cyberattack, and it strengthens privacy protections for American families….”
The bill would prevent additional regulatory authority within the DHS while ensuring civil liberties and privacy are protected through public-private partnership.
“Cyber attacks on our oil and gas facilities, electric grids, water systems, banks and transportation systems threaten our national security and economy every day,” McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said. “We cannot wait for a major attack to take action, and I am pleased that the committee (on Friday) unanimously passed legislation that improves DHS’s ability to defend against the many threats to our critical infrastructure….”