H.R. 4257, Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of the Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2012, I rise to commend Chairman ISSA and Ranking Member Cummings and the members of the House Government Oversight Committee for their bipartisan efforts in crafting this thoughtful and timely piece of legislation.

This bill is necessary because there has been an increasing number of cyber-attacks against federal information systems, including incidents in which operations were disrupted or sensitive data placed at risk. Among the number of notable security breaches in 2011 were cyber-attacks at the Pentagon, the Oak Ridge Laboratory and the Veterans Administration. According to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, the number of cyber-incidents reported in 2010 totaled more than 107,000. The number of federal-only incidents was up 39 percent compared with 2009, at nearly 42,000 incidents.

This act is intended to help arrest and reverse this troubling trend by ensuring that federal agencies use risk-based approaches to defend against cyber-attacks and to protect government information from unauthorized access.

By shifting the federal government to a system of continuous monitoring of information systems and streamlining reporting requirements, the bill addresses concerns that FISMA, in its current form, places too great an emphasis on compliance over outcomes.

The bill requires OMB to oversee agency policies and develop information security protections consistent with standards issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and OMB would have to report to Congress annually on agency compliance.

Additionally, each agency would be required to provide protections that are commensurate with the risks posed to the security of the agency's information. The head of each agency would be required to appoint a Chief Information Security Officer responsible for developing and implementing an information security program and the bill mandates that each agency develop and implement an information security program that is approved by OMB.

Mr. Speaker, as a leading employer in the U.S., the federal government has a special responsibility to ensure that the electronic points of entry it maintains with Americans and with the world are protected from unauthorized access and disruption.

The common sense and necessary legislation before us today is an important step in that direction. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the bill.

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