U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is the original cosponsor of recently introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to encourage private-sector participation in strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity capabilities.
Sen. Portman joined U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) on July 31 to present the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2018, S. 3309, which is the U.S. Senate version of the same-named H.R. 5074, unveiled on Feb. 20 by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.
The bill would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to make permanent the “cyber hunt” and “cyber incident response” teams that help prevent and mitigate cyberattacks on federal agencies and the private sector, according to a joint Aug. 1 statement by Sens. Portman and Hassan, who both serve on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“Our cyber response teams are important resources to protect critical networks and systems from cyber threats in both the public and private sectors,” Sen. Portman said, adding that he looks forward to the Senate’s quick action on the proposal so members can present it to the president and “give DHS the guidance and authorities it needs to execute this important mission.”
Sen. Hassan said the nation’s security and privacy are at risk from incidents such as those by Russian hackers, who reportedly executed recent cyberattacks on U.S. electric utility companies.
“This bipartisan bill is an important step we can take to strengthen cybersecurity within federal agencies, our critical infrastructure, and in the private sector to ensure that our people and our country are safe,” the congresswoman said. “By encouraging private-sector collaboration with the cyber response teams, this bill will help leverage the expertise of both the public and private sectors to help prevent cyberattacks from happening in the first place and mitigate the impacts when they occur.”
The bill also would require DHS to maintain the teams, which would assist asset owners and operators in restoring services following a cyber-incident; identify potential cyber risks and intrusions to team partners; and establish anti-cyber-threat prevention and protection strategies, among other provisions, according to the lawmakers’ statement.
The House on March 19 approved H.R. 5074 by voice vote. The Senate bill is under consideration by the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.