Fighting ransomware – a problem facing gurus

A US Senate committee has examined new measures to improve federal reporting of cyber security vulnerabilities that threaten infrastructure.
This is a series of bills that seek to establish a new approach to US cyber threats. Some of these regulations also refer to threats such as ransomware.

The central element of the March 11 meeting of the Committee on Internal Security is the draft law S. 3045. The law on the notification of cyber security vulnerability of 2019 was introduced in December. It aims to update the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include new provisions that specifically target cybersecurity.

The project focuses in particular on situations where the Cyber ​​Security and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) identifies vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure that they cannot report. The bill authorizes CISA to officially request information when it detects vulnerabilities.

Fighting ransomware at the federal level

Another topic was the Cyber ​​Security Coordination Act of 2020, which also aims to extend CISA responsibilities. Sponsored by Senator Margaret Hassan (D-NH), the bill seeks to expand the federal protection system against cyber threats. The project explicitly mentions the fight against ransomware, a problem that local authorities in the US have faced massively in recent years.

Currently, most states do not have the tools to counter threats to computer infrastructure. If approved, the law requires the CISA director to appoint a cybersecurity officer for all 50 US states. It will have the role of coordinating specialized teams and coordinating the exchange of information on cyber threats between institutions and organizations.