Ratcliffe and McCaul Pro-Privacy, Pro-Security Cybersecurity Bill Passes House

In a vote of 355 - 63 H.R. 1731, the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement (NCPA) Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and now will make its way to the Senate. The bill is sponsored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Cybersecurity Subcommittee Chairman John Ratcliffe.  Recognizing the enormous threat that cyber-attacks pose to America’s national security and the personal privacy of its citizens, this legislation creates a much needed framework to promote the timely exchange of critical cyber threat indicators.

“Much hard work went into the creation of this legislation, and I’m grateful to see it pass so convincingly,” Ratcliffe said.  “My constituents sent me to Congress to solve problems, and the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act does just that.  Hundreds of millions of Americans have had their privacy compromised by cyber adversaries who hope to disrupt our way of life and use our personal information for their own financial gain.  This legislation will help safeguard personal privacy and prevent cyber intrusions from occurring.”   

The recent cyber-attack of Sony Pictures by North Korea highlighted the national security implications of America’s cybersecurity posture.  The subsequent hack of CENTCOM social media accounts by ISIS sympathizers further reinforced the need to combat this rapidly evolving threat head on. “As a former United States Attorney and terrorism prosecutor, I’m committed to ensuring that malicious nation state actors don’t have the upper hand in cybersecurity,” Ratcliffe said.  “Too much is at stake.  An attack on our nation’s critical infrastructure – the electric grid, water supply, and gas pipelines which power our economy would be crippling.  This legislation addresses this vulnerability in a meaningful way.” 

During the committee process, Ratcliffe added an amendment to make it abundantly clear that the framework of this bill cannot be used for surveillance purposes. “Ultimately, this legislation will arm those who protect our networks with valuable cyber threat indicators that they can use to fortify defenses against future attacks,” Ratcliffe added. “I am grateful to have been able to work with fellow Texan, and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul throughout this process.”

U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security technologies in the House Homeland Security Committee. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Texas, which consists of 18 counties in Northeast Texas.