A bipartisan group of four House lawmakers has introduced a bill that would mandate an independent audit of critical information systems and cybersecurity practices at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act also calls for the VA to implement timeline and budget development efforts to address any system vulnerability that assessors will discover, the office of Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., said Wednesday.
Mrvan sponsored the bill with fellow House Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.; Susie Lee, D-Nev.; and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.
VA officials reported a department data breach incident in 2020 compromised personal information of approximately 46,000 military veterans.
“This legislation will move us in the right direction to give VA the tools it needs to effectively protect against new and emerging cybersecurity threats and safeguard our veterans’ personal information,” said Mrvan, who serves as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee’s technology modernization subcommittee.
Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced a companion measure to the House’s SVAC Act.