Dhs Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5733) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the responsibility of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to maintain capabilities to identify threats to industrial control systems, and for other purposes, as amended.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5733, the DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act of 2018.

Industrial control systems are the critical interface between digital controls and a physical process. These systems are ubiquitous in our modern society and are utilized in all 16 sectors of our Nation's critical infrastructure.

Whether they are used in managing the operations of electric power generators, water treatment facilities, medical devices, manufacturing facilities, or transportation networks, disruptions or damage to these systems have the potential to cause catastrophic and cascading consequences to our Nation's national security, our economic security, and our public health and safety.

The Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, or NCCIC, has a key role in addressing the security of both information technology and operational technology, including the industrial control systems.

DHS, through the NCCIC, currently provides operators of industrial control systems across critical infrastructure sectors with support. They do this with malware and vulnerability analysis, incident response, and briefings on emerging threats and vulnerabilities.

H.R. 5733 codifies DHS' current role and directs them to maintain existing capabilities to identify and address threats and vulnerabilities to products and technologies intended for use in automated control of critical infrastructure processes. This legislation also supports DHS' function to secure ICS technologies by allowing NCCIC to provide cybersecurity technical assistance to ICS end users, product manufacturers, and other stakeholders to mitigate and identify vulnerabilities.

DHS operates a central hub for ICS information exchange, technical expertise, operational partnerships, and ICS-focused cybersecurity capabilities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5733 to codify the work that DHS performs in mitigating industrial control system vulnerabilities, while ensuring that private industry has a permanent place for assistance to address cybersecurity risks.

I want to thank Chairman McCaul and Chairman Ratcliffe for their support of this legislation, as well as Congressman Langevin for his amendment in committee. This is a bipartisan effort.

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Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say it has been a pleasure working with Mr. Langevin not only on the Homeland Security Committee, but also on the Armed Services Committee. We have partnered on quite a few things, and it is wonderful to make a difference with him.

Mr. Speaker, first, I again want to thank my colleague from Rhode Island for his partnership on this, and his comments were absolutely right. The Russians and the Chinese are both working to be able to attack our energy grid, among other parts of our infrastructure, and we need to be prepared. And it doesn't start on day one of a war. It starts now, when we have the time to prepare.

The next December 7 will not be like Pearl Harbor with aircraft and torpedoes and bombs coming to attack our Pacific Fleet. It is going to be preceded by a cyber attack that is going to try to shut down our energy grid and other parts of our infrastructure, and the time to prepare is now. This bill starts that process, or continues that process, so that we are prepared.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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