Congress Passes Bill Creating Cybersecurity Agency at DHS

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill that creates a new cybersecurity agency at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Act, which passed Senate in October, is headed to the president to be signed into law. Congress passed the legislation unanimously.

The bill reorganizes the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and puts it in charge of cyber and physical infrastructure security.

“The CISA Act passing Congress represents real progress in the national effort to improve our collective efforts in cybersecurity,” said NPPD Under Secretary Christopher Krebs. “Elevating the cybersecurity mission within the Department of Homeland Security, streamlining our operations, and giving NPPD a name that reflects what it actually does will help better secure the nation’s critical infrastructure and cyber platforms.  The changes will also improve the Department’s ability to engage with industry and government stakeholders and recruit top cybersecurity talent.”

Bill Conner, president and CEO of SonicWall, believes that “the rise in geopolitical risk requires a forum for sharing actionable threat intelligence between public and private sectors.”

“It is paramount for securing our critical infrastructure, as industry owns most critical information assets. The passing of CISA clearly establishes a dedicated cybersecurity agency committed to defending our infrastructure security and demonstrates that this administration considers cybersecurity a top priority. I look forward to continuing our engagement with the federal government to ensure their networks remain secure,” Conner said.

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