Senate Approves Legislation Dedicated To Assisting Governments, Private Sector With Cyber Attacks

Senate Approves Legislation Dedicated To Assisting Governments, Private Sector With Cyber Attacks

The chamber also approved funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber arm, with $1 billion dedicated solely to cybersecurity.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • Sep 27, 2019

In the wake of growing ransomware attacks on small businesses and local governments, the Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that could improve the federal government’s ability to respond and assist organizations in the public and private sectors with cyber attacks.

The bill, called the DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act, requires the Department of Homeland Security to create and maintain groups that can be deployed to help companies and governments if they are attacked. In addition, the “teams” could help identify vulnerabilities that allow cyber attacks to take place, The Hill reported.

Fighting ransomware attacks has become a bipartisan issue, with the Democrat-controlled House already passing a similar bill in June. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has pointed to the legislation as a way for the federal government to assist small organizations that have increasingly been the targets of ransomware attacks, which demand payment in return for access to computer systems.

Schumer said his own state has been “under siege” from ransomware, likely in reference to attacks that have forced school districts to cancel days of school in order to get their systems in order.

“That’s why ... I’m pushing a two-pronged effort to fight back against these cyber crooks by urging Congress to quickly pass the bipartisan DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Team Act and by calling on the FBI to quickly and thoroughly investigate the incidents that have plagued New York and then brief Congress,” he said at a Monday event, according to The Hill.

Now, the House must approve the amended Senate bill before it can be sent to President Trump to be signed into law.

Lawmakers in the Senate also made moves on Tuesday that will affect funding for DHS and its cyber arm, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The Homeland Security subcommittee approved the DHS budget, which dedicates $2 billion to CISA and $1 billion to cybersecurity specifically, according to POLITICO.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.