Politicians in Washington have approved a bill to boost cyber security at US ports.
The Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2015 will direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create voluntary cyber guidelines for ports to increase the reporting of cyber threats and overall exchange of information. The agency will also help develop and implement a maritime cyber security risk model.
“There appears to currently be little coordination between port landlords and tenants in addressing cyber threats, and federal agencies have only recently started to consider the impact that a cyber attack could pose to our maritime infrastructure,” said representative Norma Torres, a Democrat from California, who had first introduced the bill last month. “This legislation will ensure the necessary planning and coordination is in place to protect the ports that form the backbone of our nation’s economy.”
