Congress poised to allow DHS to take the lead on federal cybersecurity

After years of debate, Congress is poised to vote on legislation that would cement the Department of Homeland Security’s role as the government’s main civilian cybersecurity authority.  The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (HR 3359), which has been in the works since the Obama administration, would give the department a stand-alone cybersecurity agency with the same stature as other DHS units, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Senate could vote on the bill, which passed in the House in 2017, as early as the week of Sept 24 as it takes up a slew of cybersecurity-related legislation.  Approving the legislation would mark a major shift in Congress’s views on whether DHS should lead the government’s efforts to protect federal computer networks, power plants and other critical infrastructure from digital attacks. Attempts to make DHS the government’s civilian cybersecurity hub have stalled amid resistance from some lawmakers who say the relatively young agency isn’t as well equipped to deal with cyberthreats as the National Security Agency or the FBI.