Cybersecurity legislation unanimously advances House

The House of Representatives has unanimously advanced the Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2018, which seeks to ensure Americans’ online identities are safe from hackers.

Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) said the legislation ensures the Federal CIO oversees digital infrastructure security and streamlines the IT reporting structure within the Administration.

“From our bank account and credit card numbers to our social security numbers, bad actors across the globe are working around the clock to hack into our digital infrastructure and steal our personal data,” Hurd said. “Americans need to know that we are doing everything we can to keep their most precious information safe. This bill helps keep the vast information stored by the federal government secure from hackers by making clear that the Federal CIO is in charge of the security of our data across the government.”

Legislation highlights include the elevation of the Federal CIO’s role as a Presidential appointee who directly reports to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); the codification of the Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) as a Presidential appointee reporting to the Federal CIO; and the direction of the Federal CIO to submit a proposal to Congress for consolidating and streamlining IT across federal agencies.

“I’m glad that the House has moved quickly to again pass this important bill,” Kelly said. “Using business and states as a model, we’ve seen how a strong CIO office can help streaming IT processes and accelerate modernization. I’m glad to see that IT modernization remains a bipartisan priority in this Congress.”