Stronger VA cybersecurity pushed by bipartisan House bill

FedScoop reports that bipartisan legislation aimed at bolstering the Department of Veterans Affairs cybersecurity defenses and better protecting its IT systems and devices has been introduced by House Committee on Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization Subcommittee chair Frank Mrvan, D-Ind. The VA, under the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act of 2022, would be required to have an independent evaluation of its most critical information systems' cybersecurity and its overall cybersecurity posture. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Reps. Susie Lee, D-Nev., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., would also mandate a timeline and funding for addressing discovered security vulnerabilities. "This legislation will move us in the right direction to give VA the tools it needs to effectively protect against new and emerging cybersecurity threats and safeguard our veterans’ personal information," said Mrvan, who noted that the bill was prompted by a 2020 breach that compromised personal data belonging to 46,000 veterans. Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have already introduced companion legislation in the Senate.