U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) recently introduced legislation that would increase Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) community outreach regarding efforts to offer cyberattack protections.
Specifically, the Cybersecurity Awareness Act would direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to develop a campaign informing the public about best practices on how to prevent cyberattacks and reduce cybersecurity risks.
“Americans should always use the best cybersecurity practices to protect themselves and their families from cyber threats,” Cassidy said. “This bill ensures Americans have access to the educational tools they need to stay safe.”
Additionally, the measure would ensure CISA increases its outreach to the most frequent targets of ransomware, including small businesses and underserved communities that often lack access to a cybersecurity education.
“Defending against persistent and evolving cyber-security threats will take an all hands on deck effort,” Peters said. “This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that everyone is playing their part in preventing network breaches that can compromise personal and sensitive information and disrupt national and economic security.”
The lawmakers cited since 2004 the President and Congress have declared October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, with government and industry spearheading a nationwide collaborative effort to raise cybersecurity awareness amid threats to technology and confidential data becoming more frequent.