Thompson voices support for implementation of Cybersecurity Act of 2015

U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) voiced his support on Wednesday for the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015.

Thompson’s support comes in the wake of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) review of the department’s implementation of the act.

The act was designed to establish a mechanism for cybersecurity information sharing among the private sector and government entities. The act also requires the inspector general to examine four key areas related to agency information technology when providing access for personally identifiable information, including logical access policies and procedures, multi-factor authentication procedures used to govern access for privileged users, information security management policies for software inventory and data exfiltration, and policies to ensure that contractors implement data protection services.

“As we begin National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I am pleased that DHS has taken meaningful steps to implement the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 to protect our most sensitive government IT systems,” Thompson said. “Still, more needs to be done to ensure sensitive data about Americans and classified information, whether stored on DHS systems or on contractor IT systems, is more secure from unauthorized access, use and disclosure. Cyber criminals, hacktivists and cyber terrorists are constantly seeking to exploit weak points in our IT infrastructure; DHS needs to develop policies and procedures to assure that all DHS components and contractors implement essential data protection solutions.”