The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act, H.R. 4743, on Monday in an effort to strengthen the nation’s cyber defenses and keep critical infrastructure intact in the face of cyber threats.
The bill, authored by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), authorizes the DHS to work with consortiums to provide training to state and local first responders and officials to respond to cyber risks, conduct cross-sector cybersecurity training and simulation exercises for state and local governments, help states develop cybersecurity information sharing programs, and help states incorporate cybersecurity risk and incident prevention.
“Communities across our nation can benefit from San Antonio’s cutting-edge cybersecurity work,” Castro said. “Every day, our retailers, banks, military installations, government agencies, and everyday American citizens all face a growing number of potentially debilitating cyber threats. This bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collaborate with experts outside of the government to improve state and local cyber preparedness. It’s critical that localities understand the impact cyber attacks could have on their ability to function, and are prepared to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from harmful cyber incidents.”
The act also requires DHS to conduct outreach to universities, including historically black colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions, regarding opportunities to support DHS efforts to address cybersecurity risks and incidents.