Two cybersecurity bills covering the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) written by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) were passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The Support for Rapid Innovation Act of 2017 (H.R. 239) amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct DHS’ Under Secretary for Science and Technology to support research, development, testing, evaluation, and transition of cybersecurity technologies, the bill summary says.
The second bill, the Leveraging Emerging Technologies Act of 2017 (H.R. 240), encourages DHS to engage with emerging technology developers and firms to bolster the government’s cybersecurity defense and response capabilities.
Ratcliffe, chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastrcuture Protection, and Security Technologies, explained that the federal government has had trouble keeping pace with technological innovation “and one of my core beliefs as a legislator is that many of the most innovative solutions are best developed outside of Washington.”
“That’s why it’s so important for us to engage with emerging technology developers who have already made enormous strides in crafting new tools and strategies that can help us defend our country against cyber threats. The bills we just passed in the House will enable our government to effectively leverage the private sector’s innovation and expertise to strengthen our national cybersecurity posture,” Ratcliffe added.
Specifically, H.R. 239’s research and development aims to “advance the development and accelerate the deployment of more secure information systems, improve and create technologies for detecting attacks or intrusions, improve and create mitigation and recovery methodologies and development of resilient networks and information systems, support the review of source code that underpins critical infrastructure information systems, develop and support infrastructure and tools to support cybersecurity research and development efforts, assist the development and support of technologies to reduce vulnerabilities in industrial control systems, and develop and support cyber forensics and attack attribution capabilities.”
The under secretary is specifically directed to support these projects through their full life cycle, identify mature technologies addressing cybersecurity gaps in public and private information systems/networks, and support such cyber improvements.
The under secretary shall also introduce new cyber technologies through the homeland security enterprise using partnerships and commercialization and target federally funded research that demonstrates a high probability of successful transition to the commercial market within two years that is expected to have a “notable impact” on information systems and networks.
H.R. 239 additionally extends the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a research and development projects pilot program until Sept. 30, 2021.
Separately, H.R. 240 particularly directs DHS to take two kinds of actions:
- Engage with innovative/emerging technology developers and firms, including small businesses and startups, to address homeland security needs; and
- Develop, submit to Congress, and implement a Department-wide strategy to proactively engage with such developers and firms that focus on sustainable methods and guidance to build relationships to establish, develop, and enhance DHS capabilities to address such needs.
The Department is also allowed to establish personnel and office space with high concentrations of such developers and firms while co-located with other DHS or federal facility assets, when possible.
Ratcliffe’s office highlighted both bills are part of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s Innovation Initiative, an effort “to enable innovation in the private sector and to bring innovation into government,” Ratcliffe’s office said.