Senate homeland security committee approves measures to improve country’s cybersecurity

Thu, 2014-06-26 04:32 AM

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs approved legislation Wednesday that would take a number of steps to modernize and address critical challenges to the nation’s cyber security.

The legislation, the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) Act of 2014 and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 was introduced earlier in the week by Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) and Ranking Member Tom Coburn (R-OK). Both measures were reported favorably by voice vote.

“Cybersecurity is one of our nation’s biggest challenges,” said Chairman Carper. “That’s why it’s imperative that we face this 21st century threat with a 21st century response. While our work in this area is far from finished, these bills are an important step in our effort to modernize our nation’s cybersecurity programs and help the public and private sectors work together to tackle cyber threats more effectively in the future. I’d like to thank my Committee colleagues for approving these critical measures and I look forward to working with Dr. Coburn as this legislation moves to the Senate floor.”

The NCCIC Act of 2014 would codify the existing cybersecurity and communications operations center at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), known as the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.

The bill calls on the Center to serve as a federal civilian information sharing interface for cybersecurity. It authorizes the Center’s current activities to share cybersecurity information and analysis with the private sector, provide incident response and technical assistance to companies and federal agencies, and recommend security measures to enhance cybersecurity.

One securities industry nonprofit, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), applauded the Act’s passage. “The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, along with the Financial Services -- Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), is an integral part of the financial services sector's information sharing processes,” said Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA president and CEO. “We applaud the legislation's codification of the NCCIC and its recognition of the capabilities that the NCCIC provides to the financial services sector as well as the critical infrastructure sectors that we rely on to operate."

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 would update the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and address critical issues that have risen over the past 12 years. The bill would better delineate the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and DHS, move agencies away from paperwork-heavy processes toward real-time and automated security, and put greater management and oversight attention on data breaches.

In May, the Committee approved the DHS Cybersecurity Workforce Recruitment and Retention Act of 2014, which would help address critical challenges that the DHS faces in hiring and retaining cybersecurity professionals by providing the Secretary of Homeland Security hiring and compensation authorities for cybersecurity experts like those of the Secretary of Defense.

http://www.gsnmagazine.com/node/41622?c=cyber_security