WASHINGTON — Two former technology executives serving in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Steve Daines (R-MT), today introduced legislation to support research and development that will boost cybersecurity innovation. In light of recent federal data breaches with delayed detection and notification, the Rapid Innovation Act seeks to improve our nation’s cyber infrastructure by expediting the implementation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new and real-time technologies, and leveraging the private sector.

“The U.S. spends roughly $80 billion on IT, but less than a quarter of it goes to the development and implementation of new systems. The federal government’s approach toward cybersecurity has traditionally been to constantly patch and repatch outdated systems rather than adopting new, more innovative technology,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will help us break that cycle. It supports the critical role that DHS plays in ensuring the security of federal IT networks and data and the nation’s critical infrastructure systems, and provides a mechanism for DHS to work with academia, industry and other agencies to innovate, improve, and update technologies so that we can better secure our increasingly connected lives.”

“The private sector runs a lot faster than the federal government,” said Sen. Daines “We need the government to be able to keep up with private sector innovation to create more good-paying jobs and protect against cyber attacks.”

This legislation would direct the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of DHS to support the research, development, testing, evaluation, and transition of new cybersecurity technologies, with a focus on:

• the deployment of more secure information systems
• technologies for detecting attacks in real-time
•  recovery methodologies and real-time containment
• review of source code that underpins critical infrastructure information systems
• technologies to reduce vulnerabilities in industrial control systems
• cyber forensics

Additionally the bill extends the authorization for DHS to carry out a research and development projects and adds a requirement that the Secretary approves projects that use the authority. It directs the coordination with industry, and explicitly states that no additional funds are authorized.

Sen. Warner is a former business and technology executive and entrepreneur who co-founded the company that became Nextel. He is the co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus and Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.  

Before serving in Congress, Sen. Daines worked in the technology sector for more than twelve years. He served as vice president of Montana-based RightNow Technologies, a global leader in cloud computing and multi-billion dollar technology company that became Bozeman, Montana’s largest commercial employer.

###