Why states should push forward with cyber laws

The list of Democratic presidential candidates continues to grow, and three of those hopefuls offer backgrounds and legislative records that could help advance the issue of cybersecurity standards at the federal level.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) last year co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to improve cybersecurity at U.S. ports as well as the Secure Elections Act. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) teamed with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on legislation to push for a more rigorous investigation into Russian election interference. In addition, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced legislation in response to the Equifax data breach. Additionally, President Trump recently signed the SECURE Technology Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish a security vulnerability disclosure policy, a bug bounty pilot program, and set supply chain risk management standards.

In fact, according to The Washington Post, “all six U.S. senators that threw their hats in the ring for the Democratic nomination have co-sponsored bills aimed at protecting election systems against Russian hackers.”

At no other time has cybersecurity been at the forefront of so many federal legislative efforts and conversations. While it’s encouraging to see cybersecurity getting much-deserved attention from politicians seeking the highest office, it could be argued that these efforts are doomed to fail. MORE