New cybersecurity requirements and standards for agencies, contractors and critical infrastructure operators were cleared by the Senate this week after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked concerns about widespread cyber attacks.
The Senate unanimously passed the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act on Tuesday, just prior to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. While lawmakers have been considering a version of the legislation for nearly a year, lawmakers highlighted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine as a potential tipping point.
“Cyber warfare is truly one of the dark arts specialized by Putin and his authoritarian regime, and this bill will help protect us from Putin’s attempted cyber attacks against our country,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor.
The bill contains three separate pieces of legislation. One would require critical infrastructure operators to report cyber attacks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within 72 hours.
The bill also includes the Federal Information Modernization Act…
