Proposed Legislation Seeks to Hasten US Cyber Aid to Foreign Allies

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has approved three cybersecurity bills introduced by Sen. Gary Peters, including the Department of Homeland Security International Cyber Partner Act.

Peters’ office said that under current authority, the ability of the DHS to respond to requests from foreign countries for cybersecurity assistance could be delayed. Under the proposed legislation, DHS and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are authorized to assign staff to foreign locations to provide cybersecurity assistance, SC Magazine reported.

To illustrate the difficulty of providing cybersecurity assistance under the present policy, Peters said it took the DHS weeks to provide support for Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia.

Peters said the U.S. must ensure that its international partners have the ability to fight back and prevent breaches since cyber attacks against networks around the world can affect the global economy and cause disruptions in the country.

If approved, the measure would allow international partners to participate in existing cybersecurity programs to help protect critical infrastructure in the United States.