The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to help prevent ransomware attacks, as Democrats sought to prevent the U.N. from having to step in.
The Senate passed the Cybersecurity and Communications Technology Act of 2017 on Tuesday, with Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey both voting in favor.
It now goes to President Donald Trump to sign.
The bill is designed to help the federal government catch ransomware attacks on its network, which the administration says could be a sign of widespread infection or a precursor to a bigger attack.
It is designed as a tool to help agencies in other countries and to help companies and governments around the world respond to ransomware attacks by giving them more visibility into the malware in their networks, such as the location of the files they download and what files they are infected with.
The legislation is designed so that cybercriminals are not able to use ransomware to target U..
S.-based companies and to make other types of malicious software more difficult to detect.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of the National Governors Association on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 10, 2020.
President Donald J. Trump speaks at a meeting with the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Alabama on Capitol Row in Washington on Wednesday, March 12, 2020, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the March on Washington.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)A number of other provisions in the bill have been put forward as well, such the creation of a new national cybercrime task force, and the establishment of a national cybersecurity awareness campaign.
The bill also includes language that would require businesses to submit a report to the government detailing cybersecurity measures implemented at their facilities.
It would also provide funds for training to federal employees to prevent cyberattacks, and it would require that all agencies develop cybersecurity policies and procedures that require agencies to report cyberthreats to the FBI, Homeland Security, and other federal agencies.
The U!
S.
Cybersecurity Coordination Council would coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security to establish national guidelines to protect government computer systems.
The White House also issued a statement on the bill:”It is important to recognize that ransomware is the leading cyber threat in the United States today.
This bill is critical to keeping the American people safe, but it is equally important to prevent attacks on critical infrastructure such as power grids and critical transportation networks.
Russia is one of the leading players in this space, and our country and our government have a shared interest in protecting our critical infrastructure from attacks. “
We have a great relationship with the President of Russia, who we are working closely with.
Russia is one of the leading players in this space, and our country and our government have a shared interest in protecting our critical infrastructure from attacks.
We will work with Congress to find the best path forward.”
The bill was approved by the Senate in a bipartisan vote of 52-47 on Tuesday.
