Energy infrastructure cybersecurity legislation introduced

House Reps. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Mike Carey, R-Ohio, have reintroduced the Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity posture of the U.S. energy infrastructure through research grants, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers would be given scholarships, fellowships, and research and development projects focused on cybersecurity and energy infrastructure under the bill, which will also seek out students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities in a bid to establish a more diverse workforce amid increasing cyber threats. "Continued cybersecurity threats on America have led to the need for bipartisan and common-sense legislation that will protect our energy grid. The Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Program will allow for PHD and graduate students to dedicate their time to researching ways to bolster our national security and avoid large scale power outages and attacks on our critical infrastructure," said Carey.