Reps. Ratcliffe, Khanna to introduce bill with Sens. Cornyn and Hassan to advance and modernize CDM program at DHS

WASHINGTON – Reps. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) will introduce legislation this week to advance and modernize the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Continuous Diagnostics Mitigation (CDM) program.

The Advancing Cybersecurity Diagnostics and Mitigation Act is identical to the Senate bill introduced by Sens. Cornyn (R-Texas) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in July. The bill seeks to codify the CDM program at DHS and expand CDM capabilities to additional agencies at the federal, state and local level.

"As cyber threats continue to increase in frequency and complexity, we must constantly work to enhance our nation’s cyber defense capabilities,” Ratcliffe said. “I’m pleased to be joined by Congressman Khanna and Senators Cornyn and Hassan in our efforts to improve America’s cybersecurity posture by codifying the CDM program and making it available to more agencies at all levels of government.”

“Our government must have the necessary tools to protect Americans against the massive cybersecurity threats of the 21st century,” Khanna said. “The technology is there: we just have to ensure our agencies have the necessary tools to defend against hackers and cyberthreats. A strong CDM program will be instrumental in that effort. Proud to work across the aisle and partner with Rep. Ratcliffe on this critical issue.”

“Cyber-attacks on government networks are increasing in frequency and sophistication, so updating the programs and tools federal agencies use to thwart these attempts is critical,” Cornyn said. “By codifying the CDM program and providing congressional oversight, we can ensure the federal government is better prepared for cyber threats.”

“As we saw just recently in a ransomware attack on Stafford County in my home state of New Hampshire, cyberattacks pose a real and growing threat to our national security, from our local nursing homes to our federal agencies,” Hassan said. “I'm pleased that the House of Representatives is introducing their version of this critical bill, and I look forward to continuing to work on a bipartisan basis across the House and Senate to move this bill forward. With constantly evolving threats, it's critical that the Department of Homeland Security enhances its efforts to monitor and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities as they arise, and importantly, ensures that these resources are available to state and local governments across the country. ?“

The Advancing Cybersecurity Diagnostics and Mitigation Act:

• Codifies the work of the CDM program to date;
• Requires the Secretary to make CDM capabilities available and develop policies for reporting cyber risks and incidents based upon data collected under CDM;
• Directs the Secretary to deploy new CDM technologies to continuously evolve the program;
• Requires the Secretary to make the CDM program capabilities available for use to civilian departments and agencies, and State, local, and tribal governments; and
• Mandates that DHS develop a strategy to ensure the program continues to adjust to the cyber threat landscape.

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