Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Maritime Cybersecurity Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott, with co-lead Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), introduced the Maritime Cybersecurity Act, legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to monitor cybersecurity risks associated with software and hardware used at maritime facilities and act to prevent cyberattacks.

The Maritime Cybersecurity Act ensures safe and secure maritime transportation and port operations by addressing potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities - especially in the face of foreign threats from adversaries such as the CCP - by mandating annual vulnerability assessments, focusing on identifying weaknesses in security.

Senator Rick Scott said, "America's enemies are looking for vulnerabilities and cracks in our armor. Facilitating basic assessments to identify our weaknesses in security is a commonsense measure to keep American assets safe both domestic and abroad. My bill makes sure our trade and waters cannot be disrupted by bad actors, especially the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). We have to be prepared to take on the cyber criminals backed by Beijing, and this bill takes a major step to doing that."

Senator Andy Kim said, "Our nation must be equipped to tackle evolving 21st-century threats. Cybersecurity resilience is a critical facet of national security, and this bipartisan bill is a strong first step to ensure we are prepared to address vulnerabilities and stop these threats wherever they are - including at maritime facilities."

Under this legislation, facility owners and operators would submit annual reports detailing their use of such software and hardware and must certify that their systems are safe from cybersecurity risks. If they could not make this certification, they would only be allowed to use the software or hardware if granted a waiver. The bill also requires the Secretary of DHS to take action to mitigate identified risks and provide annual reports to Congress on the findings, actions taken, and recommendations for improving security.

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

Just The News broke the story first, read HERE.

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