Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire is backing a measure to streamline the effort to stop cyberattacks against government computer networks.
The bill would put authority for handling security for federal networks and websites in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security.
The measure’s backers say there is no single standard or authority on federal cybersecurity. Ayotte says that’s crucial in wake of the massive data breach at the federal Office of Personnel Management.
“Some of the basic protections that the private sector has already put in place have not been put in place to protect such critical information that is gathered by our government," Ayotte said at an event to introduce the legislation.
The measure is one of several introduced after the OPM data breach, in which hackers obtained access to millions of federal employee personnel files and background investigation materials.
