Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are reintroducing legislation to support the National Guard in helping secure the information technology systems of state and local governments against emerging cyberattacks.
Hassan’s office said Thursday that the bill was initially introduced in 2020 and is being reintroduced following alleged pandemic-related cyber threats as well as the reported attacks linked to SolarWinds’ Orion IT tool.
The nation has been facing “unprecedented cyberattacks” on key institutions such as state and local governments, hospitals and schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Hassan said. The National Guard is also facing limits in its capacity to support governments in cybersecurity efforts, according to the news release.
“By ensuring the National Guard is able to work with states and localities to improve their cyber infrastructure, we can make sure the U.S. stays one step ahead of bad actors,” said Cornyn.
Hassan currently serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.