Bipartisan measure offers support for Office of the National Cyber Director

A newly introduced bill seeks to authorize utilizing individuals with expertise from other agencies to assist the Office of the National Cyber Director (NCD).

U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rob Portman (R-OH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), and Gary Peters (D-MI) recently presented the legislation, adding the bill enables permitting the NCD to solicit the aid of other government agencies to fulfill the cybersecurity mission.

“Now more than ever, Congress must bolster the United States’ capabilities to respond to cyber-attacks,” Rounds, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, said. “Last year, we worked to successfully establish the National Cyber Director position, which is dedicated to strengthening our nation’s cybersecurity. Having a fully staffed and operational office for the National Cyber Director is vital to address current and emerging threats.”

The lawmakers indicated the NCD is responsible for coordinating the execution of national cybersecurity policy and strategy. In the wake of increased cyber attacks, providing the NCD with the personnel necessary to accomplish the mission is pivotal.

Officials said Rounds was instrumental in ensuring the inclusion of a National Cyber Director provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, with the lawmaker indicating he looked forward to being a part of the implementation process to make certain the role would be executed as intended.