House Homeland Security Committee Approves Cybersecurity Legislation with Watson Coleman Amendment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC (April 14, 2015) ― Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security passed the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act, legislation that included a provision to encourage public awareness and education on personal cyber security authored by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
“Cybersecurity should be at the core of our national security agenda. This bill seeks to address the sophisticated details of how companies share cyber threat information, yet as much as 80 percent of exploitable vulnerabilities in cyberspace are a direct result of software vulnerabilities or poor or nonexistent cyber hygiene,” Watson Coleman said. “We must ensure the American people understand the basic steps they can take to protect their networks and, ultimately, improve our nation’s overall cyber security protection profile.”
The Watson Coleman amendment, agreed to in Committee, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to launch a concerted and sustained campaign to educate individuals about personal cyber security through effective public service announcements published online and communicated through social media. It also directs DHS to devise creative wage to engage the public on simple steps to help thwart a cyber-breach.
The Cybersecurity Protection and Advancement Act would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve information sharing in an effort to thwart the growing risk posed by hackers and cyber-attacks perpetrated by foreign nations. The bill now awaits consideration on the floor of the House. To see the full text of the bill, click here. To see the full text of Watson Coleman’s amendment, click here.