[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 62 (Friday, April 27, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H2215-H2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CYBERSECURITY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2012

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2096) to advance cybersecurity research, development, and 
technical standards, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2096

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Cybersecurity Enhancement 
     Act of 2012''.

                   TITLE I--RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

     SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) National coordination office.--The term National 
     Coordination Office means the National Coordination Office 
     for the Networking and Information Technology Research and 
     Development program.
       (2) Program.--The term Program means the Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development program which 
     has been established under section 101 of the High-
     Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511).

     SEC. 102. FINDINGS.

       Section 2 of the Cyber Security Research and Development 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 7401) is amended--
       (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
       ``(1) Advancements in information and communications 
     technology have resulted in a globally interconnected network 
     of government, commercial, scientific, and education 
     infrastructures, including critical infrastructures for 
     electric power, natural gas and petroleum production and 
     distribution, telecommunications, transportation, water 
     supply, banking and finance, and emergency and government 
     services.'';
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Exponential increases 
     in interconnectivity have facilitated enhanced 
     communications, economic growth,'' and inserting ``These 
     advancements have significantly contributed to the growth of 
     the United States economy'';
       (3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
       ``(3) The Cyberspace Policy Review published by the 
     President in May, 2009, concluded that our information 
     technology and communications infrastructure is vulnerable 
     and has `suffered intrusions that have allowed criminals to 
     steal hundreds of millions of dollars and nation-states and 
     other entities to steal intellectual property and sensitive 
     military information'.''; and
       (4) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:
       ``(6) While African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native 
     Americans constitute 33 percent of the college-age 
     population, members of these minorities comprise less than 20 
     percent of bachelor degree recipients in the field of 
     computer sciences.''.

     SEC. 103. CYBERSECURITY STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                   PLAN.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the agencies identified in subsection 
     101(a)(3)(B)(i) through (x) of the High-Performance Computing 
     Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(3)(B)(i) through (x)) or 
     designated under section 101(a)(3)(B)(xi) of such Act, 
     working through the National Science and Technology Council 
     and with the assistance of the National Coordination Office, 
     shall transmit to Congress a strategic plan based on an 
     assessment of cybersecurity risk to guide the overall 
     direction of Federal cybersecurity and information assurance 
     research and development for information technology and 
     networking systems. Once every 3 years after the initial 
     strategic plan is transmitted to Congress under this section, 
     such agencies shall prepare and transmit to Congress an 
     update of such plan.
       (b) Contents of Plan.--The strategic plan required under 
     subsection (a) shall--
       (1) specify and prioritize near-term, mid-term and long-
     term research objectives, including objectives associated 
     with the research areas identified in section 4(a)(1) of the 
     Cyber Security Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
     7403(a)(1)) and how the near-term objectives complement 
     research and development areas in which the private sector is 
     actively engaged;
       (2) describe how the Program will focus on innovative, 
     transformational technologies with the potential to enhance 
     the security, reliability, resilience, and trustworthiness of 
     the digital infrastructure, and to protect consumer privacy;
       (3) describe how the Program will foster the rapid transfer 
     of research and development results into new cybersecurity 
     technologies and applications for the timely benefit of 
     society and the national interest, including through the 
     dissemination of best practices and other outreach 
     activities;
       (4) describe how the Program will establish and maintain a 
     national research infrastructure for creating, testing, and 
     evaluating the next generation of secure networking and 
     information technology systems;
       (5) describe how the Program will facilitate access by 
     academic researchers to the infrastructure described in 
     paragraph (4), as well as to relevant data, including event 
     data; and
       (6) describe how the Program will engage females and 
     individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and 
     Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
     1885b) to foster a more diverse workforce in this area.
       (c) Development of Roadmap.--The agencies described in 
     subsection (a) shall develop and annually update an 
     implementation roadmap for the strategic plan required in 
     this section. Such roadmap shall--
       (1) specify the role of each Federal agency in carrying out 
     or sponsoring research and development to meet the research 
     objectives of the strategic plan, including a description of 
     how progress toward the research objectives will be 
     evaluated;
       (2) specify the funding allocated to each major research 
     objective of the strategic plan and the source of funding by 
     agency for the current fiscal year; and
       (3) estimate the funding required for each major research 
     objective of the strategic plan for the following 3 fiscal 
     years.
       (d) Recommendations.--In developing and updating the 
     strategic plan under subsection (a), the agencies involved 
     shall solicit recommendations and advice from--

[[Page H2216]]

       (1) the advisory committee established under section 
     101(b)(1) of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)); and
       (2) a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, 
     academia, including representatives of minority serving 
     institutions and community colleges, National Laboratories, 
     and other relevant organizations and institutions.
       (e) Appending to Report.--The implementation roadmap 
     required under subsection (c), and its annual updates, shall 
     be appended to the report required under section 101(a)(2)(D) 
     of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 
     5511(a)(2)(D)).

     SEC. 104. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH IN CYBERSECURITY.

       Section 4(a)(1) of the Cyber Security Research and 
     Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7403(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``and usability'' after ``to the 
     structure'';
       (2) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (3) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(J) social and behavioral factors, including human-
     computer interactions, usability, and user motivations.''.

     SEC. 105. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH 
                   AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.

       (a) Computer and Network Security Research Areas.--Section 
     4(a)(1) of the Cyber Security Research and Development Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 7403(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``identity 
     management,'' after ``cryptography,''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (I), by inserting ``, crimes against 
     children, and organized crime'' after ``intellectual 
     property''.
       (b) Computer and Network Security Research Grants.--Section 
     4(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7403(a)(3)) is amended by 
     striking subparagraphs (A) through (E) and inserting the 
     following new subparagraphs:
       ``(A) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(B) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(C) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
       (c) Computer and Network Security Research Centers.--
     Section 4(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7403(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (4)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(E) how the center will partner with government 
     laboratories, for-profit entities, other institutions of 
     higher education, or nonprofit research institutions.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (7) by striking subparagraphs (A) through 
     (E) and inserting the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(A) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(B) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(C) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
       (d) Computer and Network Security Capacity Building 
     Grants.--Section 5(a)(6) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(a)(6)) 
     is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (E) and 
     inserting the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(A) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(B) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(C) $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
       (e) Scientific and Advanced Technology Act Grants.--Section 
     5(b)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(b)(2)) is amended by 
     striking subparagraphs (A) through (E) and inserting the 
     following new subparagraphs:
       ``(A) $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(B) $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(C) $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
       (f) Graduate Traineeships in Computer and Network 
     Security.--Section 5(c)(7) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(c)(7)) 
     is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (E) and 
     inserting the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(A) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(B) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(C) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
       (g) Cyber Security Faculty Development Traineeship 
     Program.--Section 5(e) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(e)) is 
     repealed.

     SEC. 106. FEDERAL CYBER SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall continue a Scholarship for Service program 
     under section 5(a) of the Cyber Security Research and 
     Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(a)) to recruit and train the 
     next generation of Federal cybersecurity professionals and to 
     increase the capacity of the higher education system to 
     produce an information technology workforce with the skills 
     necessary to enhance the security of the Nation's 
     communications and information infrastructure.
       (b) Characteristics of Program.--The program under this 
     section shall--
       (1) provide, through qualified institutions of higher 
     education, scholarships that provide tuition, fees, and a 
     competitive stipend for up to 2 years to students pursing a 
     bachelor's or master's degree and up to 3 years to students 
     pursuing a doctoral degree in a cybersecurity field;
       (2) provide the scholarship recipients with summer 
     internship opportunities or other meaningful temporary 
     appointments in the Federal information technology workforce; 
     and
       (3) increase the capacity of institutions of higher 
     education throughout all regions of the United States to 
     produce highly qualified cybersecurity professionals, through 
     the award of competitive, merit-reviewed grants that support 
     such activities as--
       (A) faculty professional development, including technical, 
     hands-on experiences in the private sector or government, 
     workshops, seminars, conferences, and other professional 
     development opportunities that will result in improved 
     instructional capabilities;
       (B) institutional partnerships, including minority serving 
     institutions and community colleges; and
       (C) development of cybersecurity-related courses and 
     curricula.
       (c) Scholarship Requirements.--
       (1) Eligibility.--Scholarships under this section shall be 
     available only to students who--
       (A) are citizens or permanent residents of the United 
     States;
       (B) are full-time students in an eligible degree program, 
     as determined by the Director, that is focused on computer 
     security or information assurance at an awardee institution; 
     and
       (C) accept the terms of a scholarship pursuant to this 
     section.
       (2) Selection.--Individuals shall be selected to receive 
     scholarships primarily on the basis of academic merit, with 
     consideration given to financial need, to the goal of 
     promoting the participation of individuals identified in 
     section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal 
     Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b), and to 
     veterans. For purposes of this paragraph, the term 
     ``veteran'' means a person who--
       (A) served on active duty (other than active duty for 
     training) in the Armed Forces of the United States for a 
     period of more than 180 consecutive days, and who was 
     discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than 
     dishonorable; or
       (B) served on active duty (other than active duty for 
     training) in the Armed Forces of the United States and was 
     discharged or released from such service for a service-
     connected disability before serving 180 consecutive days.

     For purposes of subparagraph (B), the term ``service-
     connected'' has the meaning given such term under section 101 
     of title 38, United States Code.
       (3) Service obligation.--If an individual receives a 
     scholarship under this section, as a condition of receiving 
     such scholarship, the individual upon completion of their 
     degree must serve as a cybersecurity professional within the 
     Federal workforce for a period of time as provided in 
     paragraph (5). If a scholarship recipient is not offered 
     employment by a Federal agency or a federally funded research 
     and development center, the service requirement can be 
     satisfied at the Director's discretion by--
       (A) serving as a cybersecurity professional in a State, 
     local, or tribal government agency; or
       (B) teaching cybersecurity courses at an institution of 
     higher education.
       (4) Conditions of support.--As a condition of acceptance of 
     a scholarship under this section, a recipient shall agree to 
     provide the awardee institution with annual verifiable 
     documentation of employment and up-to-date contact 
     information.
       (5) Length of service.--The length of service required in 
     exchange for a scholarship under this subsection shall be 1 
     year more than the number of years for which the scholarship 
     was received.
       (d) Failure To Complete Service Obligation.--
       (1) General rule.--If an individual who has received a 
     scholarship under this section--
       (A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of academic 
     standing in the educational institution in which the 
     individual is enrolled, as determined by the Director;
       (B) is dismissed from such educational institution for 
     disciplinary reasons;
       (C) withdraws from the program for which the award was made 
     before the completion of such program;
       (D) declares that the individual does not intend to fulfill 
     the service obligation under this section; or
       (E) fails to fulfill the service obligation of the 
     individual under this section,

     such individual shall be liable to the United States as 
     provided in paragraph (3).
       (2) Monitoring compliance.--As a condition of participating 
     in the program, a qualified institution of higher education 
     receiving a grant under this section shall--
       (A) enter into an agreement with the Director of the 
     National Science Foundation to monitor the compliance of 
     scholarship recipients with respect to their service 
     obligation; and
       (B) provide to the Director, on an annual basis, post-award 
     employment information required under subsection (c)(4) for 
     scholarship recipients through the completion of their 
     service obligation.
       (3) Amount of repayment.--
       (A) Less than one year of service.--If a circumstance 
     described in paragraph (1) occurs before the completion of 1 
     year of a service obligation under this section, the total 
     amount of awards received by the individual under this 
     section shall be repaid or such amount shall be treated as a 
     loan to be repaid in accordance with subparagraph (C).
       (B) More than one year of service.--If a circumstance 
     described in subparagraph (D) or (E) of paragraph (1) occurs 
     after the completion of 1 year of a service obligation under 
     this section, the total amount of scholarship

[[Page H2217]]

     awards received by the individual under this section, reduced 
     by the ratio of the number of years of service completed 
     divided by the number of years of service required, shall be 
     repaid or such amount shall be treated as a loan to be repaid 
     in accordance with subparagraph (C).
       (C) Repayments.--A loan described in subparagraph (A) or 
     (B) shall be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
     Stafford Loan under part D of title IV of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a and following), and 
     shall be subject to repayment, together with interest thereon 
     accruing from the date of the scholarship award, in 
     accordance with terms and conditions specified by the 
     Director (in consultation with the Secretary of Education) in 
     regulations promulgated to carry out this paragraph.
       (4) Collection of repayment.--
       (A) In general.--In the event that a scholarship recipient 
     is required to repay the scholarship under this subsection, 
     the institution providing the scholarship shall--
       (i) be responsible for determining the repayment amounts 
     and for notifying the recipient and the Director of the 
     amount owed; and
       (ii) collect such repayment amount within a period of time 
     as determined under the agreement described in paragraph (2), 
     or the repayment amount shall be treated as a loan in 
     accordance with paragraph (3)(C).
       (B) Returned to treasury.--Except as provided in 
     subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, any such repayment shall 
     be returned to the Treasury of the United States.
       (C) Retain percentage.--An institution of higher education 
     may retain a percentage of any repayment the institution 
     collects under this paragraph to defray administrative costs 
     associated with the collection. The Director shall establish 
     a single, fixed percentage that will apply to all eligible 
     entities.
       (5) Exceptions.--The Director may provide for the partial 
     or total waiver or suspension of any service or payment 
     obligation by an individual under this section whenever 
     compliance by the individual with the obligation is 
     impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the 
     individual, or if enforcement of such obligation with respect 
     to the individual would be unconscionable.
       (e) Hiring Authority.--For purposes of any law or 
     regulation governing the appointment of individuals in the 
     Federal civil service, upon successful completion of their 
     degree, students receiving a scholarship under this section 
     shall be hired under the authority provided for in section 
     213.3102(r) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, and be 
     exempted from competitive service. Upon fulfillment of the 
     service term, such individuals shall be converted to a 
     competitive service position without competition if the 
     individual meets the requirements for that position.

     SEC. 107. CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act the President shall transmit to the Congress a report 
     addressing the cybersecurity workforce needs of the Federal 
     Government. The report shall include--
       (1) an examination of the current state of and the 
     projected needs of the Federal cybersecurity workforce, 
     including a comparison of the different agencies and 
     departments, and an analysis of the capacity of such agencies 
     and departments to meet those needs;
       (2) an analysis of the sources and availability of 
     cybersecurity talent, a comparison of the skills and 
     expertise sought by the Federal Government and the private 
     sector, an examination of the current and future capacity of 
     United States institutions of higher education, including 
     community colleges, to provide current and future 
     cybersecurity professionals, through education and training 
     activities, with those skills sought by the Federal 
     Government, State and local entities, and the private sector, 
     and a description of how successful programs are engaging the 
     talents of females and individuals identified in section 33 
     or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b);
       (3) an examination of the effectiveness of the National 
     Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance 
     Education, the Centers of Academic Excellence in Research, 
     and the Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service programs in 
     promoting higher education and research in cybersecurity and 
     information assurance and in producing a growing number of 
     professionals with the necessary cybersecurity and 
     information assurance expertise, including individuals from 
     States or regions in which the unemployment rate exceeds the 
     national average;
       (4) an analysis of any barriers to the Federal Government 
     recruiting and hiring cybersecurity talent, including 
     barriers relating to compensation, the hiring process, job 
     classification, and hiring flexibilities; and
       (5) recommendations for Federal policies to ensure an 
     adequate, well-trained Federal cybersecurity workforce.

     SEC. 108. CYBERSECURITY UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY TASK FORCE.

       (a) Establishment of University-Industry Task Force.--Not 
     later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
     shall convene a task force to explore mechanisms for carrying 
     out collaborative research, development, education, and 
     training activities for cybersecurity through a consortium or 
     other appropriate entity with participants from institutions 
     of higher education and industry.
       (b) Functions.--The task force shall--
       (1) develop options for a collaborative model and an 
     organizational structure for such entity under which the 
     joint research and development activities could be planned, 
     managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for 
     the allocation of resources among the participants in such 
     entity for support of such activities;
       (2) propose a process for developing a research and 
     development agenda for such entity, including guidelines to 
     ensure an appropriate scope of work focused on nationally 
     significant challenges and requiring collaboration;
       (3) define the roles and responsibilities for the 
     participants from institutions of higher education and 
     industry in such entity;
       (4) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual property 
     rights and for the transfer of research and development 
     results to the private sector; and
       (5) make recommendations for how such entity could be 
     funded from Federal, State, and nongovernmental sources.
       (c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under 
     subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Science and 
     Technology Policy shall appoint an equal number of 
     individuals from institutions of higher education, including 
     minority-serving institutions and community colleges, and 
     from industry with knowledge and expertise in cybersecurity.
       (d) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science 
     and Technology Policy shall transmit to the Congress a report 
     describing the findings and recommendations of the task 
     force.
       (e) Termination.--The task force shall terminate upon 
     transmittal of the report required under subsection (d).
       (f) Compensation and Expenses.--Members of the task force 
     shall serve without compensation.

     SEC. 109. CYBERSECURITY AUTOMATION AND CHECKLISTS FOR 
                   GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS.

       Section 8(c) of the Cyber Security Research and Development 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 7406(c)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(c) Security Automation and Checklists for Government 
     Systems.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Director of the National Institute 
     of Standards and Technology shall develop, and revise as 
     necessary, security automation standards, associated 
     reference materials (including protocols), and checklists 
     providing settings and option selections that minimize the 
     security risks associated with each information technology 
     hardware or software system and security tool that is, or is 
     likely to become, widely used within the Federal Government 
     in order to enable standardized and interoperable 
     technologies, architectures, and frameworks for continuous 
     monitoring of information security within the Federal 
     Government.
       ``(2) Priorities for development.--The Director of the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
     establish priorities for the development of standards, 
     reference materials, and checklists under this subsection on 
     the basis of--
       ``(A) the security risks associated with the use of the 
     system;
       ``(B) the number of agencies that use a particular system 
     or security tool;
       ``(C) the usefulness of the standards, reference materials, 
     or checklists to Federal agencies that are users or potential 
     users of the system;
       ``(D) the effectiveness of the associated standard, 
     reference material, or checklist in creating or enabling 
     continuous monitoring of information security; or
       ``(E) such other factors as the Director of the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology determines to be 
     appropriate.
       ``(3) Excluded systems.--The Director of the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology may exclude from the 
     application of paragraph (1) any information technology 
     hardware or software system or security tool for which such 
     Director determines that the development of a standard, 
     reference material, or checklist is inappropriate because of 
     the infrequency of use of the system, the obsolescence of the 
     system, or the inutility or impracticability of developing a 
     standard, reference material, or checklist for the system.
       ``(4) Dissemination of standards and related materials.--
     The Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology shall ensure that Federal agencies are informed of 
     the availability of any standard, reference material, 
     checklist, or other item developed under this subsection.
       ``(5) Agency use requirements.--The development of 
     standards, reference materials, and checklists under 
     paragraph (1) for an information technology hardware or 
     software system or tool does not--
       ``(A) require any Federal agency to select the specific 
     settings or options recommended by the standard, reference 
     material, or checklist for the system;
       ``(B) establish conditions or prerequisites for Federal 
     agency procurement or deployment of any such system;
       ``(C) imply an endorsement of any such system by the 
     Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology; or
       ``(D) preclude any Federal agency from procuring or 
     deploying other information technology hardware or software 
     systems for which no such standard, reference material, or 
     checklist has been developed or identified under paragraph 
     (1).''.

[[Page H2218]]

     SEC. 110. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY 
                   CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

       Section 20 of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g 3) is amended by redesignating 
     subsection (e) as subsection (f), and by inserting after 
     subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Intramural Security Research.--As part of the 
     research activities conducted in accordance with subsection 
     (d)(3), the Institute shall--
       ``(1) conduct a research program to develop a unifying and 
     standardized identity, privilege, and access control 
     management framework for the execution of a wide variety of 
     resource protection policies and that is amenable to 
     implementation within a wide variety of existing and emerging 
     computing environments;
       ``(2) carry out research associated with improving the 
     security of information systems and networks;
       ``(3) carry out research associated with improving the 
     testing, measurement, usability, and assurance of information 
     systems and networks; and
       ``(4) carry out research associated with improving security 
     of industrial control systems.''.

       TITLE II--ADVANCEMENT OF CYBERSECURITY TECHNICAL STANDARDS

     SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
       (2) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology.

     SEC. 202. INTERNATIONAL CYBERSECURITY TECHNICAL STANDARDS.

       (a) In General.--The Director, in coordination with 
     appropriate Federal authorities, shall--
       (1) as appropriate, ensure coordination of Federal agencies 
     engaged in the development of international technical 
     standards related to information system security; and
       (2) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, develop and transmit to the Congress a plan for 
     ensuring such Federal agency coordination.
       (b) Consultation With the Private Sector.--In carrying out 
     the activities specified in subsection (a)(1), the Director 
     shall ensure consultation with appropriate private sector 
     stakeholders.

     SEC. 203. CLOUD COMPUTING STRATEGY.

       (a) In General.--The Director, in collaboration with the 
     Federal CIO Council, and in consultation with other relevant 
     Federal agencies and stakeholders from the private sector, 
     shall continue to develop and encourage the implementation of 
     a comprehensive strategy for the use and adoption of cloud 
     computing services by the Federal Government.
       (b) Activities.--In carrying out the strategy developed 
     under subsection (a), the Director shall give consideration 
     to activities that--
       (1) accelerate the development, in collaboration with the 
     private sector, of standards that address interoperability 
     and portability of cloud computing services;
       (2) advance the development of conformance testing 
     performed by the private sector in support of cloud computing 
     standardization; and
       (3) support, in consultation with the private sector, the 
     development of appropriate security frameworks and reference 
     materials, and the identification of best practices, for use 
     by Federal agencies to address security and privacy 
     requirements to enable the use and adoption of cloud 
     computing services, including activities--
       (A) to ensure the physical security of cloud computing data 
     centers and the data stored in such centers;
       (B) to ensure secure access to the data stored in cloud 
     computing data centers;
       (C) to develop security standards as required under section 
     20 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 278g-3); and
       (D) to support the development of the automation of 
     continuous monitoring systems.

     SEC. 204. PROMOTING CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATION.

       (a) Program.--The Director, in collaboration with relevant 
     Federal agencies, industry, educational institutions, 
     National Laboratories, the National Coordination Office of 
     the Networking and Information Technology Research and 
     Development program, and other organizations, shall continue 
     to coordinate a cybersecurity awareness and education program 
     to increase knowledge, skills, and awareness of cybersecurity 
     risks, consequences, and best practices through--
       (1) the widespread dissemination of cybersecurity technical 
     standards and best practices identified by the Institute;
       (2) efforts to make cybersecurity best practices usable by 
     individuals, small to medium-sized businesses, State, local, 
     and tribal governments, and educational institutions; and
       (3) efforts to attract, recruit, and retain qualified 
     professionals to the Federal cybersecurity workforce.
       (b) Strategic Plan.--The Director shall, in cooperation 
     with relevant Federal agencies and other stakeholders, 
     develop and implement a strategic plan to guide Federal 
     programs and activities in support of a comprehensive 
     cybersecurity awareness and education program as described 
     under subsection (a).
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     date of enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, 
     the Director shall transmit the strategic plan required under 
     subsection (b) to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
     Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

     SEC. 205. IDENTITY MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

       The Director shall continue a program to support the 
     development of technical standards, metrology, testbeds, and 
     conformance criteria, taking into account appropriate user 
     concerns, to--
       (1) improve interoperability among identity management 
     technologies;
       (2) strengthen authentication methods of identity 
     management systems;
       (3) improve privacy protection in identity management 
     systems, including health information technology systems, 
     through authentication and security protocols; and
       (4) improve the usability of identity management systems.

     SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATIONS.

       No additional funds are authorized to carry out this title 
     and the amendments made by this title or to carry out the 
     amendments made by sections 109 and 110 of this Act. This 
     title and the amendments made by this title and the 
     amendments made by sections 109 and 110 of this Act shall be 
     carried out using amounts otherwise authorized or 
     appropriated.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on this bill, as amended, now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today Congress has a historic opportunity to lay the 
groundwork to defend our Nation against cyberattacks. We're not just 
talking about mischievous online activity, but actions that could bring 
America to its knees.
  Unfortunately, this is not science fiction. America is under attack, 
not by armies advancing on our beaches or planes overhead, but in the 
virtual world, where those who intend to do us harm have already 
penetrated our Federal and private computer networks and continue to 
plot relentlessly to bring down our critical infrastructure. Our water 
supply, nuclear facilities, air traffic control systems, electrical 
grid, and defense and banking systems are all vulnerable to a crippling 
attack.
  General Keith Alexander, Director of the National Security Agency, 
said it is not a matter of if, but when a cyber Pearl Harbor occurs. We 
are just simply fortunate that a computer-based attack has not brought 
physical harm to Americans, but that is not for a lack of trying.
  China has already successfully stolen some of our biggest military 
secrets, such as information about the F 35 Joint Strike Fighter, the 
Department of Defense's biggest weapons program ever. Now they know the 
program well enough not only to copy it, but to guard against it. 
Similar attacks continue unabated on our military's computer systems. 
Hackers trick soldiers into downloading viruses onto their computers, 
after which every keystroke is recorded. Mr. Speaker, our military 
secrets are being stolen every day.
  Imagine if agents of a foreign government were breaking into the 
Pentagon and stealing top secret documents, paper files. It would not 
be tolerated. It would be all over the front page of The Washington 
Post. And yet in the virtual world, that is occurring. In fact, the 
October 2011 Report to Congress on Foreign Economic Collection and 
Industrial Espionage states it is part of China and Russia's national 
policy to try to identify and take sensitive technology which they need 
for their own development. In fact, they train and have a cyberwarfare 
college.
  The degradation of our national security and intellectual property 
from cybertheft threatens to weaken us where we have historically been 
strong. The NSA calculates that Russia and China have stolen $1 
trillion in American intellectual property, the biggest

[[Page H2219]]

transfer of wealth in history. Their philosophy is: Why invent when you 
can steal it?
  Besides nation-states, there are groups such as Anonymous, LulzSec, 
and AntiSec who indulge in nonstate ``hacktivism.'' Their agenda is to 
bully, embarrass, and steal from those that they disagree with 
philosophically or politically. They think nothing of closing down Web 
sites, hacking into email and voice mail, and taking sensitive 
information from those who don't do their bidding.
  There has been a lot of hard work going into this Cyberweek and a lot 
of thought to find solutions. As cochair of the Center for Strategic 
and International Studies Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th 
President, I helped draft recommendations for securing the country's 
government networks and critical infrastructures.

                              {time}  0920

  As a member of the Speaker's Cyber Task Force and chairman of the 
House Cybersecurity Caucus, I helped present those recommendations to 
Congress in the legislation we have seen this week. The historic 
legislation the House votes on this week incorporates many of these 
recommendations.
  This bill, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, gives the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology the authority to set security 
standards for Federal computer systems and develop checklists for 
agencies to follow.
  Why is that important?
  It hardens our Federal networks. Every Federal agency has been hacked 
into by agents of a foreign power, by activists. Every Federal agency, 
including the Pentagon, has been hacked into. This bill will harden 
those Federal networks and make them less vulnerable to such an attack.
  It also creates a Federal/university/private sector task force to 
coordinate research and development. It establishes cybersecurity 
research and development grant programs and improves the quality of our 
cyber workforce by creating a scholarship program.
  Importantly, it creates an education and awareness program for 
computer hygiene. When you talk to the NSA, they tell you that computer 
hygiene accounts for the majority of cyberattacks. This would remedy 
the majority of vulnerabilities that we face.
  And finally, it sets forth procurement standards for hardware and 
software that will minimize security risks. This will also have a 
ripple effect in the private sector so that they will also adopt such 
procurement standards.
  Other legislation we saw that passed yesterday facilitates the 
sharing of threat information between the public and private sector, 
which controls most of our critical infrastructure. While it's not part 
of this bill, I think it's important to make the analogy that what we 
did yesterday was simply allow the Federal Government to share 
signature threat information with the private sector, similar to a 
police officer sharing with a homeowner a threat that they see of 
someone breaking into their house and then telling them how they can 
better protect their house and lock the door without the door being 
opened.
  These commonsense reforms are a baseline of what we need to secure 
our infrastructure. We must take action before life is lost and our 
economy and defenses have been weakened to the point of damaging our 
country.
  One of the biggest failures after 9/11 was the knowledge that the 
attacks could have possibly been prevented with better intelligence 
information-sharing and protective measures. There was also a lack of 
imagination.
  And while we can't change the past, we can use it as a lesson, as we 
go forward in our modern cyberworld, a world in which our water supply, 
defense systems, nuclear power plants, electrical grid, banking 
systems, FAA, and other critical infrastructures are vulnerable to 
cyberthieves, -attacks, and -terrorists.
  We know what has to be done. Mr. Speaker, the time to act is now.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2096, the Cybersecurity 
Enhancement Act. I'd like to first thank my colleague, Mr. McCaul, for 
his hard work on this critical piece of national cybersecurity policy.
  As cofounder of the House Cybersecurity Caucus, Mr. McCaul has played 
a key role in this policy area that is becoming increasingly important 
to our Nation. Our work together on this legislation, which began last 
Congress, demonstrates that this bill is good, bipartisan public policy 
that should once again receive overwhelming support in this House.

  In 2009, the President called for a comprehensive 60-day review of 
U.S. cyberspace policy. That call and the subsequent expert 
recommendations contained in the report led to a series of hearings on 
cybersecurity R&D and resulted in the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 
2010, which I sponsored and worked on with Mr. McCaul in the Science 
and Technology Committee in the last Congress. That bill passed this 
Chamber by a vote of 422 5. Unfortunately, it was not taken up by the 
Senate.
  Since that time, cyberthreats have only increased. So last May, Mr. 
McCaul and I introduced this bill once again to address the pressing 
education, research, and development and standards and practices 
aspects of cybersecurity.
  In America, every individual and every organization, including the 
Federal Government, is vulnerable to cybercrime. Our most sensitive 
data are stored on computers, and around the world there are countless 
individuals, groups, and nations relentlessly focused on exploiting 
gaps in our cybersecurity system.
  The Federal Trade Commission estimates that identity theft costs 
consumers about $50 billion annually. The Department of Commerce was 
targeted this month in a cyberattack that required the Economic 
Development Administration to completely unplug from the network. And 
just yesterday, the Homeland Security Committee heard from witnesses 
about Iran's development of a cyberarmy.
  Cybercrime evolves as quickly as technology itself. Thus, it will 
take a collective effort by the Federal Government, the private sector, 
our scientists and engineers, and every American to defeat it. And H.R. 
2096 will help to do this.
  The first step is education. This bill builds on existing 
partnerships, such as the NSF-sponsored Center for Systems Security and 
Information Assurance at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos 
Hills, Illinois. This community college has trained hundreds of 
teachers and college faculty in cybersecurity-related areas since 2003, 
individuals who are now teaching at colleges and technical training 
programs nationwide.
  H.R. 2096 also provides scholarships for students pursuing degrees in 
cybersecurity in exchange for their service in the Federal IT 
workforce. This approach not only provides for the immediate workforce 
needs of the Federal Government, but it also builds a pipeline for 
private industry.
  Now, in addition to a skilled IT workforce, our Nation also needs 
advances in basic R&D. Cyberthreats are constantly evolving, and 
cybersecurity must reflect the comprehensive efforts that build towards 
a more secure foundation in the short and long terms.
  So this legislation requires relevant Federal agencies to work with 
the National Science and Technology Council to develop a national 
strategic plan for cybersecurity R&D that sets priorities based on risk 
assessments, focuses on transformational technology, and strengthens 
technology transfer programs. It will build on infrastructure that we 
need to get the best ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace. And 
because people are perhaps the weakest link in many IT systems, the 
research strategy will include the social sciences to help us better 
understand how humans interact with technology.
  Promoting public awareness of good computer hygiene can go a long way 
to protecting our systems. The dissemination of simple concepts, such 
as installing antivirus software and not opening emails from unknown 
sources, can go a long way in reducing the threat of cybercrime.
  The legislation also calls on the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to be a leader in both domestic

[[Page H2220]]

and international cybersecurity standards. As Mr. McCaul said, H.R. 
2096 tasks NIST with developing a comprehensive international 
cybersecurity strategy that defines what working and IT technical 
standards we need, determines where they're being developed, and 
ensures the United States is represented.
  Finally, in recognition of the Federal Government's increasing effort 
to utilize remote data centers, known as cloud computing, in this 
Congress, I worked to add language so that the bill now directs NIST to 
work with other agencies and with experts in the private sector to 
ensure the consistent and secure standards on cloud computing are put 
in place across the Federal Government. As cloud computing is used more 
and more by the Federal Government, we must make sure that this data is 
safe.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is a necessary and vitally important step 
toward securing our public, private, and personal IT systems. It is a 
good bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Hall), my good friend and colleague, the chairman of the 
Science and Technology Committee.

                              {time}  0930

  Mr. HALL. I want to thank my fellow Texas Representative, Michael 
McCaul, for his very capable leadership, for his wonderful opening 
statement. It allows me to spend less time. He has knowledge of 
cybersecurity issues that is a very important asset to this Congress 
and is a benefit to the Nation, and I'm pleased to join him as a 
cosponsor of H.R. 2096, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2012. As 
he stated so eloquently, as our reliance on information technology 
expands, so do our vulnerabilities.
  Protecting the Nation's cyber-infrastructure is a responsibility 
shared by a number of different Federal agencies, including the 
National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology.
  H.R. 2096 primarily addresses important cybersecurity research and 
development efforts conducted at or led by these agencies. It 
reauthorizes existing but expired research and education programs at 
NSF while eliminating two unnecessary programs and enhances 
scholarships to increase the size and skills of the Federal 
cybersecurity workforce.
  It strengthens the cybersecurity R&D standards, development and 
coordination, and education and awareness at NIST; and it provides for 
strategic planning for cybersecurity R&D across the Federal Government. 
This is a good, fiscally responsible bill that enjoys broad bipartisan 
support.
  It represents a modest but critical piece of Congress' overall 
efforts to address the comprehensive cybersecurity needs of the United 
States.
  This bill has the support of numerous organizations, including the 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which calls H.R. 2096

     an important step toward improving Federal cybersecurity R&D 
     activities to improve the security, reliability, and 
     resilience of America's digital infrastructure in partnership 
     with industry.

  I support the passage of H.R. 2096 and encourage my colleagues to do 
the same.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island 
(Mr. Langevin) 5 minutes.
  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise today in strong support of the 
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act offered by my good friend and colleague, 
the cochair of the Cybersecurity Caucus, Mr. McCaul. The gentleman and 
I have been at this issue for several years now; and when we first 
began the effort back in '06 or '07, I think for the most part most 
people, when we talked about cybersecurity, it was, cyber what? Oh, how 
things have changed.
  I think we certainly, collectively, between him and I and many 
others, have raised the awareness of this issue, its importance, and 
the challenges that we face in securing our Nation in cyberspace, and I 
deeply am grateful for his efforts.
  It is impossible to overstate the importance of the cyberdomain to 
our national security, our infrastructure, and our economic 
competitiveness. Clearly, we all recognize how much we use the Internet 
every day in our daily lives, whether it's for commerce or 
communication, social networking, or national security issues. It 
really has become a part of our daily lives. But in securing the 
cyberdomain, we also face immense challenges.
  Cyberthreats are clearly growing more numerous, sophisticated, and 
successful. We all know of someone who perhaps has had their bank 
accounts hacked and had money stolen or their identity stolen or their 
credit card number or Social Security number stolen because of a 
cyberattack on a company or government institution. We also have heard 
of numerous attacks, and we see them daily in the area of cyber-
espionage, and the gentleman from Texas did a great job in outlining 
some of the specific challenges.
  The F 35 is one case in particular that comes to mind. There are 
billions of dollars in R&D that is stolen on a daily or weekly basis by 
our adversaries; and, of course, we have heard and have documented 
numerous issues of cyberattacks. Thankfully, nothing major yet in this 
country. But as General Alexander, the Director of the NSA, has 
outlined, these days perhaps would come and we need to do all we can to 
avoid them.
  Well-intentioned technological changes that create great efficiencies 
through automation and advanced management techniques, of course, can 
leave us even more vulnerable to cyber-exploitation.
  Clearly, these efficiencies that have been brought through automation 
have helped us to be much more efficient; but as the test from Idaho 
National Labs, which showed how easy it would be to conduct a ``skater 
attack'' that penetrated systems that are government safety systems. 
Pumps and valves and generators could easily be penetrated and cause 
that generator to blow itself up. So these things can happen, and we 
need to do all we can to avoid them. Make sure that that day never 
comes.

  Now, obviously, we have to tap into our creative and innovative 
spirit to address today's challenges and position ourselves to be agile 
in the face of tomorrow's threats.
  I'm pleased that this bill helps us to make this need a reality by 
strengthening the coordination and cooperation among the various cyber-
research and development efforts across the Federal Government.
  The fruits of that research will be critical to our Nation's future 
defense and the cyberdomain.
  Additionally, I'm pleased to highlight that this bill enhances 
programs that increase the size and skills of our Nation's 
cybersecurity workforce. Now, we have obviously a critical shortage of 
qualified cyber-experts, and we need to address that need. The director 
of the CIA's Clandestine Information Technology Office estimates that 
we only have about a thousand people that can operate in the country at 
world-class levels in cyberspace, and what he says is we need somewhere 
between 20,000 and 30,000 people.
  We all heard about the skills gap that we face in this country where, 
in particular, high-tech companies are having a real difficult time 
finding qualified workers to fill those jobs of the 21st century. We 
need to do better in closing our skills gap.
  To this end, last year the National Defense Authorization Act 
commissioned a study that the Pentagon had to conduct to determine its 
cyberworkforce needs and give them a better situation awareness about 
who they have with those capabilities and what their needs will be both 
now and in the future. It was a successful study, and the Pentagon is 
putting that plan and that information into action to close that gap.
  And at the high school level in Rhode Island and in several of the 
other States, we, working with the Sands Institute, created the 
cyberchallenge. We need to focus on our young people and get them 
focused on a potential career in cybersecurity, and that program has 
been incredibly successful.
  So in closing that gap and developing a cyberworkforce, this 
legislation is an important step in that effort. So I want to thank the 
gentleman from Texas for his leadership on this issue, and I'm

[[Page H2221]]

pleased to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. McCAUL. Let me just as a point of personal privilege say and give 
my thanks to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), my good 
friend, colleague, cochair of the Cybersecurity Caucus, for your 
vision, your leadership on this very, very important issue. As you know 
and I know, we were very into this issue of cybersecurity 6 years ago, 
before it was really cool to be into cybersecurity. So thank you so 
much for your leadership.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Thornberry), my good friend and colleague and also the chairman of 
the Speaker's Cybersecurity Caucus.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I appreciate 
the chairman of the Science Committee, Mr. Hall, and the ranking 
member, Ms. Johnson, for bringing this bill and the next bill to the 
floor. This will mean the House will have passed four bills this week 
related to cybersecurity, taking important steps in the right 
direction.
  I particularly appreciate the work of the gentleman from Texas, Mr. 
McCaul, and Mr. Lipinski for bringing this bill to the floor. As they 
have said, they've been working on it for a while, and I appreciate 
their persistence and also the substance of the bill.
  Of course, the gentleman from Texas, Mr. McCaul, as you've heard, has 
been working in this area for a number of years, and the study that he 
cochaired with Mr. Langevin with the CSIS Commission on Cybersecurity 
remains one of the leading studies in this field.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is important. You've heard about the education 
and awareness. It also helps make sure that the research and 
development is coordinated so that we don't duplicate within the 
Federal Government, but also that it is complementary to what the 
private sector is doing.

                              {time}  0940

  I think it's important to emphasize that the answer to cybersecurity 
is not a government program; it is our people and innovation. That is 
really the key. So others may steal information from us--they may even 
copy some of the things they steal--but what they can't do is produce 
the sort of innovation and new approaches that are absolutely essential 
to our future. That's part of the reason this bill is important. It's 
part of the reason we have to be careful about new regulations and 
other things that some people want to do because nurturing the 
innovation that comes from this country, from the private sector and 
the government, is absolutely essential to our future.
  So I appreciate all of the work that the gentleman from Texas and 
others have done, not only on this bill but in the larger scheme of 
things, as it cuts across a number of committees, and it takes our 
country a few steps in the right direction. But it's important that we 
take those steps for our future security.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlelady from Texas, the ranking member of the committee, Ms. 
Johnson.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Let me express my appreciation to 
the leaders of this bill. This is a good bipartisan bill, and it is 
nearly identical to the legislation that passed the House by an 
overwhelming majority in the last Congress. I would like to certainly 
cite Mr. Lipinski and Mr. McCaul for their leadership and work on this 
bill.
  The Internet--and our access to the Internet through computers, 
tablets, smartphones, et cetera--has greatly increased our productivity 
and connectivity. Unfortunately, this connectivity and the dependence 
of our infrastructure, our commerce, and a great deal of our day-to-day 
lives on information technologies have increased our vulnerability to 
cyberattack. For example, you may recall last year, the networks of 48 
companies were penetrated for at least 6 months by a hacker who was 
looking for intellectual property to steal, and it was reported that 
the personal information of nearly 80 million video game users was 
compromised.
  So we need to do what we can to help ensure that these sorts of 
intrusions are minimized. To do this, we need to build strong 
partnerships between our Federal agencies, businesses, nongovernmental 
organizations, and educational institutions.
  I am pleased that H.R. 2096 strengthens the public-private 
partnerships, guarantees a proactive and comprehensive Federal 
cybersecurity R&D portfolio, trains the next generation of 
cybersecurity professionals, and ensures the development of robust 
cybersecurity technical standards. These activities are essential to 
our efforts to advance the security of our current information and 
communication systems and to build future systems that are more secure 
from the outset.
  I would simply close by saying thank you to Mr. McCaul and to Mr. 
Lipinski. I hope that we get this bill passed.
  Both of the agencies covered in H.R. 2096, the National Science 
Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, play 
an important and unique role in the Federal effort to secure 
cyberspace.
  While I support the passage of H.R. 2096, I would be remiss if I did 
not take this opportunity to express some disappointment over the 
language in H.R. 2096 that authorizes a cybersecuity awareness and 
education program at NIST.
  During Committee consideration of H.R. 2096, I offered an amendment 
to ensure that the education and awareness activities authorized by the 
bill accurately represent NIST's current role as the coordinator of the 
National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, or NICE.
  I was pleased that my Republican colleagues offered to work with me 
to address this concern. However, the language in the bill we are 
considering today still falls short and fails to accurately reflect 
these activities.
  NICE, under NIST's leadership, is playing an important and critical 
role in improving cybersecurity education in this country. 
Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues were resistant to language that 
specifically addressed NICE's role in formal cybersecurity education.
  I believe that this is a regrettable omission and that we missed an 
opportunity to ensure that the initiative focuses sufficient attention 
on developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. I 
hope that this shortcoming can be addressed as the bill moves to the 
Senate.
  President Obama has stated that cyber threats are ``one of the most 
serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation'' 
and that cutting edge research and development and a commitment to 
science and math education are central to securing America's 
information and communication networks. I couldn't agree more.
  H.R. 2096 will help to advance these important goals and improve the 
Nation's resiliency to cyber attack.
  I'd like to take a moment to thank both the Majority and Minority 
staff for their work on this bill, and in particular thank Marcy Gallo 
on my staff for her hard work. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Illinois have any 
additional speakers?
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Just myself. I am ready to close.
  Mr. McCAUL. Then I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Langevin, the other 
cochair of the Cybersecurity Caucus, for all of his work. I want to 
thank Ranking Member Johnson for her work, Chairman Hall, and 
especially Mr. McCaul for coming together on this bill.
  We started this in the last Congress. Hopefully, we will get it 
finished in this Congress. We know that cyberthreats are everywhere--
from cyberarmies that are threatening our Nation to cybercrime that 
threatens the financial security of all Americans. This bill addresses 
three key pieces of protecting our Nation: improving education, R&D, 
and the development of standards. All of these are key pieces we have 
to continue to develop as the threats develop, and this will help us to 
do that.
  So I want to urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me first recognize Mr. Lipinski for his excellent leadership. 
We've been pushing this bill. It's the second Congress in which we've 
pushed it. I certainly hope that this time it goes to the Senate and 
gets signed into law.
  Mr. Lipinski, you've been a real leader on cybersecurity. It has been 
an honor to serve with you on the Science and Technology Committee 
together. Let me, again, thank you for all of your great efforts.
  At a time of intense partisanship, when there is so much acrimony on

[[Page H2222]]

both sides of the aisle, it is refreshing to see a moment when we can 
come together as Americans first, regardless of party affiliation, and 
do something that's right. Cybersecurity is in the best interest of the 
Nation. Defending the United States is a fundamental element under the 
Constitution. So, for me, personally, to see us come together like we 
have today is a very refreshing thing.
  My father flew in a B 17 over Europe in 35 bombing missions. He was a 
bombardier. At that time, the state of warfare was very kinetic. They 
handed down a better country to this generation, but we're faced with a 
new threat. They're not bombs of his era, of his day, but, rather, 
digital bombs that can be dropped at any time and that have dropped on 
this government--on the Federal Government--and on our private sector. 
Bombs that have stolen trillions of dollars of intellectual property. 
Bombs that have committed espionage and stolen our military secrets. 
And bombs that could be conducted in a cyberwarfare attack.
  I think the thing that keeps me up most at night is the idea of 
cyberwarfare, because we know what our offensive capability is. We know 
what we can do and conduct as a Nation against another nation. That 
technology in the wrong hands, in a country's like Iran, can cause 
great devastation against the interests of the United States, can bring 
down power grids, can bring down financial institutions. Every critical 
infrastructure tied to the Internet is vulnerable to this type of 
attack. So I believe that this legislation will protect this Nation 
from such attacks.
  We all came up here to serve, not for ego, not for title but, at the 
end of the day, to make a difference, to make a fundamental difference 
in the lives of Americans. So I believe a moment like this is a great 
moment in which we can reflect back on later in our lives and think, 
you know, I made a difference. This bill protects Americans and future 
generations.
  Let me thank all of those who have been involved in this critical 
legislation and, particularly, Mr. Lipinski for your patriotism to this 
country and for what you've done in getting this to move forward.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 2096, the ``Cybersecurity Enhancement Act.'' The bill would 
reauthorize several National Science Foundation (NSF) programs that aim 
to enhance cybersecurity. In addition, it would require the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to continue a 
cybersecurity awareness program and to develop standards for managing 
personal identifying information stored on computer systems. Further, 
it would establish a task force which would recommend actions to 
improve our Nation's cybersecurity.
  Cyberspace can easily be considered the nervous system--the control 
system of our country. Cyberspace is composed of hundreds of thousands 
of interconnected computers, servers, routers, switches, and fiber 
optic cables that allow our critical infrastructures to work. Thus, the 
healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to our economy and our 
national security.
  This issue is not new to me nor to any other Member of Congress. As a 
senior Member of the Judiciary Committee I have faced the problems 
which arise when there are breaches and how best to protect our system 
in both the Crime and Intellectual Property Subcommittees.
  As a senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am deeply 
concerned about vulnerabilities in our cyber security protection. For 
the last few years, threats originating in cyberspace have risen 
dramatically. The policy of the United States has been to protect 
against the debilitating disruption of the operation of information 
systems for critical infrastructures and, thereby, help to protect the 
people, economy, and national security of the United States.
  I realize that we must act in advance to reduce all of our 
vulnerabilities to these types of threats, in order to prevent any 
damage to the cyber systems supporting our Nation's critical 
infrastructures.
  According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) the threat 
posed by cyber attacks is heightened by vulnerabilities in federal 
systems and systems supporting critical infrastructure. Specifically, 
significant weaknesses in information security controls continue to 
threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical 
information and information systems supporting the operations, assets, 
and personnel of Federal Government agencies.
  For example, 18 of 24 major Federal agencies have reported inadequate 
information security controls for financial reporting for fiscal year 
2011, and inspectors general at 22 of these agencies identified 
information security as a major management challenge for their agency.
  Moreover, GAO, agency, and inspector general assessments of 
information security controls during fiscal year 2011 revealed that 
most major agencies had weaknesses in most major categories of 
information system controls. These and similar weaknesses can be 
exploited by threat actors, with potentially severe effects.
  In addition, the number of cybersecurity incidents reported by 
Federal agencies continues to rise, and recent incidents illustrate 
that these pose serious risk. Over the past 6 years, the number of 
incidents reported by Federal agencies to the Federal information 
security incident center has increased by nearly 680 percent.
  These incidents include unauthorized access to systems; improper use 
of computing resources; and the installation of malicious software, 
among others.
  Reported attacks and unintentional incidents involving Federal, 
private, and infrastructure systems demonstrate that the impact of a 
serious attack could be significant, including loss of personal or 
sensitive information, disruption or destruction of critical 
infrastructure, and damage to national and economic security.
  Federal agencies are facing a set of emerging cybersecurity threats 
that are the result of increasingly sophisticated methods of attack and 
the blending of once distinct types of attack into more complex and 
damaging forms. Examples of these threats include spam (unsolicited 
commercial e-mail), phishing (fraudulent messages to obtain personal or 
sensitive data), and spyware (software that monitors user activity 
without user knowledge or consent).
  Cyber attacks are analogous to guerilla warfare. Attribution of an 
attack to a specific source or entity is a significant challenge in 
cyberspace because the Internet was built on an open, anonymous 
platform. This architecture permits the original source of an attack to 
be easily masked. While an attack may be traced to a specific country, 
this does not necessarily mean that the government of that country is 
behind the attacks. Moreover, because of the near universal access to 
the Internet, disruptive activity can come from individual actors 
located in any corner of the globe.
  In February 2009, the Director of National Intelligence testified 
that foreign nations and criminals have targeted government and private 
sector networks to gain a competitive advantage and potentially disrupt 
or destroy them, and that terrorist groups have expressed a desire to 
use cyberattacks as a means to target the United States.
  The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified multiple sources 
of threats to our Nation's critical information systems, including 
foreign nations engaged in espionage and information warfare, domestic 
criminals, hackers, virus writers, and disgruntled employees and 
contractors working within an organization.
  For these reasons and more, I support this bipartisan legislation. We 
must continue to support the research and development of technology 
that will help to combat threats to our cybersecurity. It is also 
essential to train and develop the professionals who are able to 
continue with the implementation of countermeasures and are the future 
of R&D.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2096, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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