Congressional cyber heavyweights Langevin, Katko won’t seek reelection

In the span of a few days, two House members who have concentrated much of their energy on cybersecurity — and perhaps just as importantly, on working across the aisle on the issue — have announced their plans to depart Congress. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said on Tuesday that he would not run for reelection in 2022. Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., made his own announcement on Friday. Matt Masterson, a former election security official at the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, called the exit of Langevin and Katko “tough” and “a big loss.” “These are two members of Congress that have both employed staff and taken the time themselves to understand the technical challenges and nuances that are part of this conversation about cybersecurity,” said Masterson, now a nonresident policy fellow with the Stanford Internet Observatory. “You have a Republican and a Democrat, both who recognized […]

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House defense bill would usher in cybersecurity changes at DOD

The House of Representatives this week overwhelmingly passed a defense policy bill with several cybersecurity measures aimed at better securing Pentagon networks. The legislation — the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — seeks closer collaboration between the departments of Defense and Homeland Security in defending against hackers, asks for quick notification of data breaches of military personnel, and continues to crack down on foreign-made telecom products that are deemed security threats. The NDAA is an annual ritual that lawmakers use to shape Pentagon policies and budget plans while throwing in some pet projects to boot. The House bill — a $717 billion behemoth — eventually will be merged with the Senate’s version, which that chamber’s Armed Services Committee also approved this week. It’s unclear when the Senate bill will have floor votes. One key provision of the House bill, according to the Rules Committee print, would set up a pilot program for […]

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