House Republicans Call For VA-Led Campaign to Help Protect Vets from Cyber Risks

Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Mike Bost, R-Ill., unveiled the Veterans' Cyber Risk Awareness Act to help protect former U.S. military members against identity theft, fraud and scams, which are rampant in social media or the internet, according to Nextgov. This legislation will mandate the Veterans Affairs secretary to develop a campaign that would educate the veterans. "Over the past several months, we've learned a great deal about the prevalence of violent extremist groups in our country and their efforts to prey on our nation's veterans," said Mace. "Veterans are not only targets of scammers and con artists for financial purposes, but also victims of extremists looking to take advantage of our retired troops." The bill, once passed, will also require the VA to maintain a public website that contains information on the cyber risks the veterans could face and how they could report such incidents. Bost added that the bill "will make sure veterans have the information and resources they need to protect themselves. It will also provide an objective look at the potential dangers they face online."