Federal Efforts to Improve Cybersecurity

PURPOSE:

• To hear private sector views on cyber threats, priority issues for cybersecurity strategy, implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, and issues the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity should consider.

BACKGROUND:

• On December 18, 2015, Congress enacted the Cybersecurity Act to achieve three key goals:

(1) create a framework for private companies to share cybersecurity threat information with both the federal government and other private entities,
(2) improve Federal network cybersecurity; and
(3) track the cyber capabilities of all federal agencies.

• In February 2016, President Obama directed his Administration to implement a Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP).
  • A key piece of CNAP was the creation of a Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity to make recommendations for actions to be taken during the next decade to strengthen cybersecurity.