Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced new legislation to address the shortage of cybersecurity expertise in the federal government.
The bipartisan Cyber Security Exchange Act would establish a public-private cybersecurity professionals exchange program to recruit experts in private sector and academia to do limited tours of duty in the federal government of up to two years. Additionally, agencies would create a program for government computer experts to do tours of duty in the private sector to learn best practices, which can then be applied to help further secure government computer systems and critical infrastructure.
“Our country’s cybersecurity should be a top priority, but currently, our government needs additional cyber security experts to ensure we are not vulnerable to attacks from adversaries and cybercriminals,” Klobuchar said. “This bipartisan legislation will allow our federal agencies to work with private sector experts at the top of the cybersecurity field to help ensure that our networks are protected.”
“This is a great opportunity for federal government agencies to tap into the vast cybersecurity resources that exist in the private sector and academia, as well as bolster the capabilities of their counterparts,” Thune said. “Ensuring the cybersecurity of our nation is an all-hands priority, and the exchange of ideas and best practices that this bill would facilitate would better position our national security community to tackle the cyber threats of the future.”
