U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced a bill last week to help state, local, and tribal governments to identify, detect, protect, respond and recover from various cyber threats.
The State Cyber Resiliency Act establishes a cybersecurity grant program to provide the necessary resources for states to develop and implement cybersecurity resiliency plans. In addition, the bill also encourages states to invest in their own cybersecurity workforce.
The bill comes in the wake of a recent study by the Ponemon Institute, which found that approximately 50 percent of state and local governments faced up to 25 cyber breaches over the past 24 months. Cyber breaches in the past year have also subjected more than 200,000 personal voter records in Illinois and Arizona to be exposed.
“One of the fastest growing threats to our country is the danger posed by cyberattacks,” Warner said. “From data breaches at retailers like Target and Home Depot to ransomware attacks on cities’ transportation networks, cyberattacks pose a significant threat. Despite the velocity of the threat, 80% of states lack funding to develop sufficient cybersecurity. This bill would provide grants to state and local jurisdictions so they are better prepared to take on these emerging challenges in the cyber domain.”
The companion bill was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Barbara Comstock (R-VA).