Panel Backs Measure To Boost Federal Cybersecurity

House Oversight and Government Reform panel May 5 approved legislation mandating the creation of a permanent national office for cyberspace within the White House to oversee federal agency efforts to protect their computer systems cyber attacks and other threats.

Under the bill (H.R. 4900), approved by the Government Management Subcommittee by voice vote, the office would have a Senate-confirmed director and include a panel of government information technology experts tasked with guiding agency programs to tighten their computer security systems. The legislation would effectively institutionalize the White House office of cyber-security coordinator created by President Obama by executive order last year and now headed by Howard Schmidt. The bill would also make permanent the post of chief technology officer within the White House Office of Management and Budget, a job now held by Vivek Kundra. The legislation also would direct agencies to develop automatic systems for continuously monitoring their computer networks for deficiencies and risks instead of filing annual reports showing compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act as they are currently required to do.