Today, the House of Representatives passed a historic bill, addressing for the first time Cybersecurity, HR 4061. House Members agreed overwhelmingly to protect our national IT infrastructure, as the measure passed by a vote of 422 to 5.
The legislation plugs critical holes in our nations cybersecurity infrastructure. The legislation:
- Creates grant programs, housed at the National Science Foundation, for computer and network security research. These grants will include research in identity management, a key to solve many computer and network security problems.
- Works to fill the education and workforce gap in our cybersecurity infrastructure. Authorizing educational grants and scholarship for service programs for individuals studying cybersecurity. Various amendments strengthen these programs and ensure community colleges are part of the solution and ensure new computer users, such as the elderly, young children, low income populations, and populations with new broadband technology receive the education they need in basic cybersecurity.
- The most vital provision of the bill, Section 204, Identity Management Research and Development, instructs the Director of the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) to develop standards to improve interoperability among identity management technologies. NIST is also instructed to strengthen authentication standards, improve privacy protections, especially in health information technology, and make the systems more user friendly. This will encourage people, companies, and institutions to use secure identity technologies available to protect personal identifiable information and, ensure the technology is used, and working properly to protect the critical and sensitive information entrusted.
While HR 4061 passed the House, currently there is no Senate companion. Please call your Senator and urge them to support the cybersecurity and identity protection in HR 4061. It addresses the most important aspects of protecting our personal information and our nations critical infrastructure.
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