Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and John Thune, R-S.D., have introduced new legislation that seeks to enhance the cybersecurity of unmanned systems used by the federal government.
The Office of Sen. Warner said Wednesday that the Drone Evaluation to Eliminate Cyber Threats Act of 2024 calls for the development by the National Institute of Standards and Technology of guidelines governing the cybersecurity of civilian drones, and the pilot testing and implementation of those guidelines by the Office of Management and Budget.
The DETECT Act also calls on the OMB to provide federal agencies with guidance on reporting security vulnerabilities in the drones they use. The proposed legislation mandates contractors that provide federal agencies with drones or drone-related services to report vulnerabilities that they might discover. Contractor reporting would be governed by regulations to be issued by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.
According to Sen. Warner, ensuring the safety and security of drones is critical because of the transformative quality of the capabilities they offer.
“This legislation will establish sensible cybersecurity guidelines for drones used by the federal government to ensure that sensitive information is protected while we continue to invest in this new technology,” Warner added.
For his part, Sen. Thune said, “This common-sense legislation would require the federal government to follow stringent cybersecurity guidelines and protocols for drones and unmanned systems.”