Measure seeks to bolster cyber incident response measures

Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced Wednesday legislation designed to enhance cyber hunt and cyber incident response teams working to prevent attacks on federal and private sector entities.

Portman and Hassan said the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act works to prevent cyber attacks, such as the reported Russian hacking attacks on American electric utility companies, by encouraging private sector participation with the cyber response teams.

“Our cyber response teams are important resources to protect critical networks and systems from cyber threats in both the public and private sectors,” Portman, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with Hassan, said. “I look forward to moving this important authorization through the Senate and to the president so that we can give DHS the guidance and authorities it needs to execute this important mission.”

The bill would authorize the National Protection and Programs Directorate, under which the cyber response teams fall, and require DHS to maintain the teams, according to officials.

“Reports that Russian hackers are carrying out sophisticated cyber attacks on U.S. electric utility companies are just the latest examples of the cyber threats our nation faces every single day, putting our security and privacy at risk,” Hassan said. “By encouraging private sector collaboration with the cyber response teams, this bill will help leverage the expertise of both the public and private sectors to help prevent cyber attacks from happening in the first place and mitigate the impacts when they occur.”