Bipartisan bill to mitigate threats from cyberattacks introduced in House, Senate

Following the international WannaCry ransomware attack, which has reportedly infected approximately 300,000 computer systems in more than 150 nations, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that aims to combat cyberattacks and cybercrime against U.S. computer networks.

The Promoting Good Cyber Hygiene Act requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a baseline set of voluntary best practices for cybersecurity to be made available online.

Additionally, the legislation requires agencies to consider cyber hygiene benefits of standard cybersecurity measures including multi-factor authentication and data loss prevention. Further, the bill instructs DHS to study cybersecurity threats relating to Internet of Things devices.

The bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA).

“With cybercriminals growing bolder in their attacks, strengthening our cybersecurity infrastructure remains one of my top priorities in the Senate,” Hatch said. “Cyberattacks threaten our economy and inflict untold damage on thousands of Americans. Fortunately, proper cyber hygiene can prevent many of these attacks.”