Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., responds to a question during an editorial board meeting at the Las Vegas Sun offices in Henderson Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.
Thursday, March 17, 2022 | 9:15 a.m.
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.
U.S. officials are worried Russia could retaliate against the U.S. for its sanctions against Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.
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.
“In light of the ongoing threat of possible Russian cyberattacks, we must take proactive steps to enhance the cybersecurity of our country, including by protecting our veterans,” Rosen said in a statement.
Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Technology Modernization Subcommittee.
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.
“This bipartisan bill would help us understand the VA’s cyber vulnerabilities and ensure we protect our veterans’ personal information from malicious cyberattacks,” Rosen said.
AMVETS and the Paralyzed Veterans of America endorsed the bill.
