Delaney Statement on Administration’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan

WASHINGTON – This week the White House announced a new Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) with a goal of putting in place a long-term strategy to enhance cybersecurity protections for government, businesses, consumers and taxpayers. The CNAP includes a new Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, additional funding for federal cybersecurity programs and personnel within law enforcement, consumer education and an upgrade to existing protections within federal IT systems.

The Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity will be supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and comprised of experts from the private sector, academia and government. The Commission will perform a diagnostic review and recommend a roadmap for how cybersecurity can be improved in the public and private sector.  

“Cybersecurity should be a top national priority; secure networks are an essential ingredient for a strong national defense, confident consumers and taxpayers and thriving businesses,” said Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6). “In recent years we’ve seen cyber-attacks and breaches in the public and private sector and nearly everyone knows someone who has had their identity stolen. From the highest levels of national security to protecting each individual’s identity, cybersecurity needs to be on the national agenda and the CNAP is a welcome start. Improving our national cybersecurity will require tackling the problem from all angles and the Administration needs a working partner in Congress to get the best results. I believe that with our tremendous assets in place here in Maryland, our state can and should be a national leader in cybersecurity technology.”

Last year, Delaney held Identity Theft Prevention Workshops in Germantown and Hagerstown. 

The CNAP also includes the creation of a new Federal Chief Information Security Officer, enhanced student loan forgiveness programs for cybersecurity experts joining the federal workforce, cybersecurity training for small businesses and the creation of a permanent Federal Privacy Council. For more information, click here.

On Monday, Delaney spoke at the dedication of the new National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Rockville, MD. The new NCCoE facility includes 22 cybersecurity labs to study access control, mobile device security, online identity authentication, data integrity, IT asset management and other issues.

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