[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 173 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




STRENGTHENING CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION SHARING AND COORDINATION IN OUR 
                           PORTS ACT OF 2017

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                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2017

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 3101, the 
Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our 
Ports Act of 2017. This legislation would increase cybersecurity 
measures at ports.
  As we have seen in the last couple months, all sectors of our 
government are in danger of being compromised due to our outdated 
cybersecurity standards. This past June, the Port of Los Angeles and 
businesses were compromised by hackers, shutting down essential 
structures of our economy. The security firm, Symantec, warned that 
hackers may have even gained access to parts of our energy grid.
  H.R. 3101 authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to 
more freely share information regarding the cybersecurity threats to 
our naval interests. As a part of this bill, the DHS would continuously 
assess current and future cybersecurity risks, seek input from the 
National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, create 
guidelines to encourage the reporting of cybersecurity risks, and 
implement recommendations from other agencies to enhance the security 
for emergency response agencies, law enforcement, ports, and our 
maritime border. The bill would also direct the Coast Guard to share 
information regarding port-specific vulnerabilities and enact security 
plans to prevent and respond to cyber threats. Because of today's 
constant cybersecurity risks, it is imperative that we have proper 
contingency plans in place to respond to any threats that may appear. 
We must actively take steps to ensure the safety and security of our 
maritime infrastructure to better prepare ourselves for the threats of 
the 21st century.
  As a Representative of Atlanta, I was shocked to see how hackers were 
able to infiltrate Equifax and so easily compromise the privacy of 
millions of Americans. By being proactive, this body has the chance to 
prevent other similar cybersecurity attacks that would target our 
government and infrastructure. I have previously supported other 
cybersecurity-related legislation that would secure the integrity of 
our elections and now I believe that we should extend this security to 
other vital infrastructure, which is why I am pleased to support H.R. 
3101.

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