ICYMI: Rosen Leads the Push for Action to Protect America’s Cybersecurity from Potential Russian Cyberattacks

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Senator Rosen Is The U.S. Senate’s First And Only Computer Programmer

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the first former computer programmer to ever serve in the Senate, has been leading efforts to bolster America’s cybersecurity and protect critical infrastructure and institutions – including hospitals and the Department of Veterans Affairs – from the growing threat of Russian cyberattacks. 

KSNV Las Vegas: Rosen Introduces Bill to Protect Hospitals from Russian Cyberattacks

Reporter: Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen has introduced a bill that would protect hospitals from potential Russian cyberattacks. It’s called the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act, and if it’s passed it would mandate cybersecurity improvements in the public health sector and commission a study detailing the specific risks for our hospitals.

Washington Post (Cybersecurity 202): New bill aims to boost health-care sector’s cybersecurity

By Joseph Marks

Key Points:

  • The bill, which was shared with The Cybersecurity 202 before its release this morning, would require CISA to study the cybersecurity risks that the health-care sector is facing. 
  • It would also require CISA to enter into an agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services and would authorize cybersecurity training for health-care owners and operators. 

POLITICO Pulse: New Health Care Cyber Bill

By Sarah Owermohle and Krista Maher with Ben Leonard

Key Points:

  • Citing a Wednesday POLITICO analysis, Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced legislation Thursday aimed at bolstering the health care industry’s cybersecurity, Ben reports.
  • The bill, dubbed the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act, calls on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to work with HHS to improve health care and public health cybersecurity, pointing to an increase in data breaches and the threat of Russian cyberattacks.

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada’s Rosen aims to protect hospitals from Russian cyberattacks

By Mary Hynes

Key Points: 

  • Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen and Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy introduced late Wednesday bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting hospitals and the health care sector from potential Russian cyberattacks.  
  • The bill’s introduction comes after President Joe Biden and his administration earlier this week urged American companies to take immediate action to harden their cyber defenses “based on evolving intelligence that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.”
  • According to a new POLITICO analysis of Health and Human Services data, nearly 50 million people in the U.S. had their sensitive health data breached in 2021, a threefold increase in just the last three years.

Axios: Congress sounds digital alarm bells over cybersecurity

By Sophia Cai

Key Points:

  • Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a bipartisan bill to bolster cybersecurity at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • It would require the secretary of Veterans Affairs to obtain an independent cybersecurity assessment of VA information systems and submit to Congress a plan to address weaknesses found in the assessment.

Las Vegas Sun: Rosen introduces bill to bolster VA computer security

By Jessica Hill

Key Points: 

  • Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced legislation today to protect the veterans health care system against possible cyberattacks from Russia.
  • The Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act would require the secretary of veterans affairs to obtain an independent cybersecurity assessment of VA information systems and submit a plan to Congress that addresses cybersecurity weaknesses, Rosen’s office said in a statement.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest integrated health care network in the country but spends a smaller percentage of its budget on cybersecurity than other government agencies.

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