WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2021) More than a dozen members of the US House Homeland Security Committee re-introduced legislation on Friday that would help support efforts to secure the country's pipelines from terrorist and cyberattacks alike, Representative Emanuel Cleaver's office said in a release.
"Members of the Committee... re-introduced legislation to support the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to secure pipelines and pipeline facilities from cyberattacks, terrorist attacks, and other nefarious efforts to target pipeline infrastructure," the release said.
The move comes amid heightened discussion among Washington officials about the importance of cybersecurity, particularly when it comes to protecting critical infrastructure. These discussions are largely inspired by the recent Colonial Pipelines, SolarWinds, and microsoft Exchange hacks.
"The recent ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline Company further highlights the threats facing our nation's critical infrastructure and the potential cascading impacts cyber attacks can have on our economy. With the attacks of this nature on the rise, it's more important than ever to strengthen our cyber resilience," Ranking Member John Katko said in the release.
Cleaver and Katko are joined by Chairman Bennie Thompson and 12 other members of the committee in supporting the re-introduction of the legislation.
