Last week the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed to the CyberSecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, giving the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) the go-ahead to develop voluntary cyber standards for critical infrastructure.
The bipartisan legislation will bolster cyber research and development, the cyber workforce through training and education and technical standards for cybersecurity.
“Now, with the passage of the Commerce Committee's cybersecurity legislation, protecting our information networks is a top priority for the federal government,” Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay D. Rockefeller (D.-WV) said in a statement. “NIST and our research agencies will have a leading role in this effort, and the authority to work closely with the private sector to identify and reduce cyber risks.”
The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 had previously been struck down by Republicans.
