WARWICK, RI - Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) today offered an amendment to the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009 that would allow for expanded private sector collaboration and involvement in federal cybersecurity efforts. The amendment passed by voice vote. 

“By now we should all recognize the real danger our government faces from increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks, with threats ranging from mischievous hacking incidents to serious criminal activity,” said Langevin, co-chair of the House Cybersecurity Caucus. “While federal government employees work tirelessly to leverage the resources available to them to defend our government networks, they may not always have the specific tools and capabilities necessary to keep up with current threats.  In such cases, the private sector can offer greater flexibility and expertise, yet current law does not allow for security experts to share their knowledge with those charged with defending our nation’s critical networks and data.”

Langevin’s amendment directs the Presidential cybersecurity workforce assessment provided for in the bill to study the possibility of permitting temporary assignments of private sector cybersecurity professionals to Federal agencies. These assignments would offer an important opportunity for the federal government to tap into a wider talent pool and improve private sector involvement and cooperation in protecting our federal networks.

“By creating easier access to that expertise through temporary assignments in the Federal government, we can dramatically improve our ability to protect the public and private cyber-infrastructure,” continued Langevin.