Reps. Graves, Gottheimer introduce bill to help individuals thwart cyberattacks

U.S. Reps. Tom Graves (R-GA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced legislation that seeks to provide American more tools to defend themselves online from cyberthreats.

The Active Cyber Defense Certainty Act (ACDC) makes changes to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) to allow use of limited defensive measures that exceed the boundaries of one’s network to monitor and stop attackers. The CFAA currently allows individuals only to take preventative protections, such as anti-virus software, but ACDC provides new techniques to thwart and deter attacks.

Specifically, ACDC gives authorized individuals and companies the legal authority to disrupt cyberattacks without damaging others’ computers, retrieve and destroy stolen files, monitor the behavior of an attacker, and utilize beaconing technology.

“Technology has outpaced public policy, and our laws need to catch up,” Graves said. “The status quo is unacceptable, and it’s important that private sector organizations feel empowered to take a more active approach to their cyber defense. We must continue working toward the day when it’s the norm – not the exception – for criminal hackers to be identified and held accountable for their crimes.”

The bill also requires users to notify the FBI National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force before acting. This ensures that law enforcement is part of the conversation from the start.

“This bill gives specific, useful tools to fight back against cyberattacks that have cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars, not to mention their personal privacy. There’s nothing partisan about protecting our families and businesses from these cyber hackers. I’m proud to cosponsor this important legislation with my good friend Congressman Tom Graves,” Gottheimer said.