Rep. Jay Obernolte’s bill to launch a cybersecurity literacy campaign passes House Energy and Commerce Committee

U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia), one of the few computer scientists currently serving in Congress, is pushing forward with legislation to launch a cybersecurity literacy campaign to benefit the American public. The bill, H.R.1360,the American Cybersecurity Literacy Act, passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, teeing the bill up for a potential vote on the House floor later this year.

WATCH REP. OBERNOLTE’S REMARKS HERE

“The most used password by Americans today is unfortunately the word ‘password,’ followed closely in second place by the numbers ‘12345.’ A cybersecurity literacy campaign is badly needed to help educate the American public about online security and prevent the cyberattacks and online fraud that hurts millions of Americans every year,” said Rep. Obernolte.

H.R. 1360, the American Cybersecurity Literacy Act, directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to conduct a cybersecurity literacy campaign to educate the American public about online best practices such as the benefits of secure passwords, the use of cybersecurity tools, and the identification of cybersecurity risks. The goals of the campaign are increasing digital security awareness amongst Americans and the reduction of risks to individuals, companies, and the American public.

The United States has a substantial national security and economic interest in promoting cybersecurity literacy among the American public. According to a recent report published by IBM, stolen or compromised credentials was both the leading cause of data breaches in the United States last year and also the hardest to identify. Ransomware attacks grew by 41% in 2022 while taking 49 days longer to identify and contain. Meanwhile, data breaches cost American companies an average of $9.44 million, significantly more than the global average of $4.35 million.