Bill to strengthen information sharing at the nation’s ports advanced by House

A bill that seeks to improve information sharing and cooperation in addressing cybersecurity risks at the nation’s ports was recently unanimously advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Authored by U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA), the Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2017 would also aim to set standards for reporting, provide guidance to ports, collaborate with port representatives for future planning, and modernize the U.S. Coast Guard to address various cyber threats.

Torres introduced the bill following the international NotPetya malware cyberattack, which halted operations at the Port of Los Angeles’ largest terminal for a period of time.

According to an estimate from the National Retail Federation, a shutdown of the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex for two weeks could result in more than $50 billion in reduced economic output and impact 500,000 jobs.

“There is unfortunately little coordination between port landlords and tenants in addressing cyber threats, and federal agencies have only recently started to consider the impact that a cyber-attack could pose to our maritime infrastructure,” Torres said. “This legislation will ensure the necessary planning and coordination is in place to protect US ports which move more than $1.3 trillion in cargo every day.”

The legislation has received support from the Port of Los Angeles, Congressional PORTS Caucus Chairs, and by the Maritime and Port Information Sharing and Analysis Organization.

The bill will now receive consideration in the Senate.