A pair of lawmakers have introduced a measure they said is designed to protect systemically important critical infrastructure (SICI) from cyber attacks.
Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) recently detailed the the Securing Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure Act, noting the bill would aid in establishing a transparent process for designating SICI.
Additionally, the legislation would direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to prioritize benefits to SICI owners and operators without additional burdens.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen the devastating real-world impacts of sophisticated cyber attacks on our nation’s critical infrastructure,” Katko, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said. “To mitigate risks to our economic and national security going forward, we need a clear process for identifying which infrastructure constitutes systemically important critical infrastructure. Disruption to this infrastructure — ranging from pipelines to software — could have an outsized impact on our homeland security.”
Katko said SICI owners and operators demand deeper cyber risk management integration with the federal government.
Spanberger said central Virginia families and businesses felt the serious impacts of the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline earlier this year.
“In our communities, we saw how critical infrastructure — such as the Colonial Pipeline — plays a fundamental role in our daily lives and in the day-to-day success of our regional economy,” Spanberger said. “Our bipartisan bill would help us identify the critical infrastructure that is particularly foundational and systemically important to our economy and national security.”