House Approves Mrvan Legislation to Strengthen VA Cybersecurity
Washington, DC – Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation introduced by Congressman Frank J. Mrvan - H.R. 7299, the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity (SVAC) Act of 2022, by a vote of 381 to 39.
The purpose of this legislation is to strengthen cybersecurity at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and protect information technology systems and devices used at VA. Specifically, the SVAC Act requires VA to obtain an independent cybersecurity assessment of its most critical information systems, as well as its cybersecurity posture as a whole. It also requires VA to develop a timeline and budget to fix any weaknesses and deficiencies identified by the report. The legislation is now referred to the Senate for consideration.
To view Congressman Mrvan’s remarks on the House floor in support of this legislation, click here.
Congressman Mrvan stated, “We must continue to work to ensure that the VA has the tools it needs to effectively protect against new and emerging cybersecurity threats and safeguard our veterans information. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with all of my colleagues to move this commonsense and bipartisan legislation forward.”
SVAC Act of 202 will:
- Protect against advanced cybersecurity threats, ransomware, denial of service attacks, insider threats, threats from foreign actors, phishing, credential theft and other cyber threats
- Ensure that the entire Department’s IT is covered—including on-premises, remote, cloud-based, and mobile information systems and devices used by, or in support of, Department activities
- Require the Secretary to submit a detailed report and plan of implementation to Congress within 120 days of the independent assessment
- Require the GAO to review VA’s plan and evaluate if the cost estimates and timelines are realistic.
For additional information on the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act of 2022, click here.
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