Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act
Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and House Homeland Security Committee Republicans introduced legislation to combat growing cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against our critical infrastructure. Chairman Moolenaar and Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) spearheaded the Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act that will establish an interagency task force led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to address the cybersecurity threats posed by state-sponsored cyber actors associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Volt Typhoon.
Additionally, the bill requires that the task force provide a classified report and briefing to Congress annually for five years on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations relating to malicious CCP cyber activity. Homeland Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) also cosponsored the legislation.
“At our Select Committee hearing earlier this year, FBI Director Wray broke the news that the United States had uncovered state-affiliated Chinese hackers, known collectively as Volt Typhoon, who infiltrated American critical infrastructure and installed malware to unleash a cyber-attack at a time of their choosing,” said Chairman Moolenaar. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation led by Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) that will help protect the American people.”
Representative Lee said, “The CCP, acting through Volt Typhoon and other threat actors, has made a concerted effort to pre-position itself within our networks in order to target and compromise the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day––from the transportation and water sectors to the energy sector. While individual agencies have worked to examine and address the threats posed by malign cyber actors like Volt Typhoon, a siloed approach to cybersecurity will only give our adversaries the upper hand. It is critical that the federal government implements a focused, coordinated, and whole-of-government response to all of Beijing’s cyber threats, so no other actors succeed.”
Chairman Green said, “The threat actor ‘Volt Typhoon’ remained undetected and undeterred in our networks for far too long. The discovery of the new actor ‘Flax Typhoon’ further demonstrates the CCP’s unabashed commitment to infiltrating our critical infrastructure. While intrusions from threat actors like the Typhoons create a dangerous opportunity for espionage, we know they could also serve as open doors for the CCP to manipulate or thwart crucial services Americans rely on in the event of escalation in the Indo-Pacific. Now is the time to address the threat China poses in cyberspace.”
Read a copy of the legislation HERE.