House bill would help state, local governments fight hackers

Legislation was introduced this week to authorize a new grant program at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities on government networks.

State and local governments have been frequent targets of cybercriminals. In 2019, ransomware attacks hit government agencies in Baltimore, Louisiana, 22 towns in Texas, a school district in Syracuse, among others.

The State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act would establish a $400 million DHS grant program that incentivizes states to increase their own cybersecurity funding. It would also require DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to develop a strategy to improve the cybersecurity of local governments. Further, it would establish a State and Local Cybersecurity Resiliency Committee to advise on local cybersecurity needs.

“The State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act is a critically important piece of legislation that provides state and local governments the tools they need to significantly invest in their cybersecurity infrastructure,” U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation Subcommittee, said. “Louisiana has long been vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and this bill offers the resources needed to ensure protection against potential threats. I’m proud to introduce this comprehensive measure to give Louisiana and other states across the country the proper framework they need to implement vital cybersecurity plans.”

Raymond sponsored the bill along with Reps. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), John Katko (R-NY), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Mike Rogers (R-AL).

“Hackers are increasingly targeting state and local governments, as we painfully learned in Baltimore last year, where a ransomware attack cost the city more than $10 million,” Ruppersberger said. “Even worse, some communities are actually paying the ransom – it’s a risk calculation that many at the state and local level do not have the expertise to make. This legislation will give state and local governments the resources they need to invest in cybersecurity and protect themselves and their citizens.”

The bill will be marked up in the Committee on Homeland Security this week.