Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) has said the Department of Homeland Security can serve as a resource for state and local government agencies to determine strategies against sophisticated cyber threats, GCN reported Wednesday.
Hurd told the publication he believes conversations between leaders at all levels of government are necessary to secure U.S. critical infrastructure.
He proposed a bill that calls for the DHS’ National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to work with state and local agencies to help them address system vulnerabilities, adopt continuous diagnostic and mitigation initiatives and facilitate security training exercises.
“We can protect our civil liberties while protecting our digital infrastructure and chasing bad guys,” Hurd said in a speech to a FireEye-sponsored government forum Tuesday.
Troy Schneider reported the House passed the State and Local Cyber Protection Act in December.