RELEASE: Rep. Khanna bolsters tech policy work, introduces Internet of Things Cybersecurity Training for Federal Employees Act
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Khanna introduced legislation which would mandate Congress direct OMB to require cybersecurity training for federal employees and include information on the risks of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, defined as everyday devices that connect to the internet. Some examples include internet connected home appliances, smart watches, and cars. IoT devices present new and unique cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), "IoT objects are potentially vulnerable targets for hackers. Economic and other factors may reduce the degree to which such objects are designed with adequate cybersecurity capabilities built in. IoT devices are small, are often built to be disposable, and may have limited capacity for software updates to address vulnerabilities that come to light after deployment."
"The Internet of Things Cybersecurity Training for Federal Employees Act will ensure that our federal workforce is aware of these vulnerabilities when using IoT devices at work and at home. This simple bill does its part in modernizing our government into the 21st century," said Rep. Khanna.
Rep. Khanna is also the sponsor of the Measuring the Economic Impact of Broadband Act, to require the Bureau of Economic Analysis to conduct a study of the effects of broadband deployment and adoption on the U.S. economy. The legislation empowers policymakers to make more informed decisions about broadband, connecting underserved communities and keeping America competitive in a digital world. This Congress, Rep. Khanna also introduced legislation to advance and codify the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Continuous Diagnostics Mitigation (CDM) program. Both bills have bipartisan support.
Currently, Rep. Khanna is working with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on legislation that would deal with election interference that took place during the 2016 election on social media platforms. The legislation will create an "Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC)" and will make it easier for tech companies to exchange information about bad actors with each other and the government. Currently, if Facebook catches a user trying to sow discord on their platform to interfere in an election, they are certain legal obstacles that prevent them from informing other social media companies like Twitter or Google. ISACs exist for the IT and banking industries. The goal of the legislation is to ensure social media companies can tackle election interference in the same way banks can share information about fraudulent accounts.
Read the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Training for Federal Employees Act online here.
###
About the Office
Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.