REP LIEU STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF HIS HACK YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT BILL

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the House passed the Hack Your State Department Act, which he introduced with Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) in March. The bill will strengthen cyber defenses for the State Department by tapping ethical hackers to identify vulnerabilities in State Department's networks and data systems. This program will rely on a bug bounty system where authorized hackers can enter a State Department system, identify and disclose weaknesses and receive compensation. Additionally, it will establish a Vulnerability Disclosure Program to field vulnerabilities reported by the general public.

"Cyber warfare is the next frontier of global conflict and our government needs to be prepared. As a recovering Computer Science major, I've long been concerned that we're not doing enough to ensure our government's data is secure. That's why I'm grateful that the House has passed the Hack Your State Department Act, which I introduced with Rep. Yoho in March. It shows there's a bipartisan willingness to come up with innovative ways to keep our country's most sensitive information secure. Last week's announcement of an email data breach at the State Department demonstrates that we can't wait any longer to implement a program that will be responsive to ever-changing cyber threats and vulnerabilities."

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