Bill bolsters local government cybersecurity

A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure designed to strengthen local government cybersecurity defenses by switching to the .gov domain for websites and email addresses.

Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) joined Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and James Lankford (R-OK) in presenting the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2019, which they said directs the Department of Homeland of Security (DHS) to provide resources and assistance to local governments seeking to adopt .gov web addresses.

The lawmakers said the trusted domain increases resilience to cybercrimes that frequently target local government systems.

“Local governments are responsible for safeguarding citizens’ personal data, from social security numbers and credit card information to detailed medical records,” Peters said. “This important legislation will help protect the personal information of people in Michigan and across the country from hackers looking to take advantage of gaps in our cybersecurity defenses.”

Johnson said the bill’s passage would ensure state, local, tribal, and territorial governments have greater access to a trusted domain and Department of Homeland Security resources.

“It will also help Americans and businesses know which government websites are legitimate and better prevent them from distributing sensitive information,” he said.

Many county and local governments do not use .gov, which allows cybercriminals to create fake local government websites and email addresses used in attacks that can trick individuals and small businesses into sharing sensitive information.