Both cruised through the committee with bipartisan support. The other would require DHS to set up a vulnerability disclosure policy that protects ethical hackers from legal action if they find a security flaw and report it responsibly. One bill, called the Hack DHS Act, would create a bug bounty pilot program that would pay security researchers to root out bugs in the agency’s networks. DHS has resisted such a move, but lawmakers are ready to force the agency’s hand, saying independent testing is an important step toward improving its cyber hygiene. The House Homeland Security Committee advanced a pair of bipartisan bills late last week that would force the Department of Homeland Security to open the door to security researchers to probe the agency for cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Lawmakers are going to bat in a big way for ethical hackers. Washington Post: The Cybersecurity 202: Lawmakers are ready to embrace ethical hackers, even if DHS isn't
See below for highlights of the coverage, or click here: The Senate version of the bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year. A companion bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Scott Taylor (R-VA). The bipartisan bill would establish a bug bounty pilot program – modeled off of similar programs at the Department of Defense and major tech companies –to strengthen cyber defenses at DHS by using “white-hat” or ethical hackers to help identify unique and undiscovered vulnerabilities in the DHS networks and data systems. The bipartisan Hack DHS Act, authored by Senators Hassan and Rob Portman (R-OH), passed out of the House Committee on Homeland Security last week. Senate and House to push the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen its cyber defenses. WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, the Washington Post highlighted efforts by Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and colleagues from both parties in the U.S.