Proposed Cybersecurity Legislation Casts A Wide Net For U.S. Ports

On November 7, 2017, Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Dan Sullivan, R-Ark., introduced a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen cybersecurity measures in U.S. ports. The bill, S. 2083, is entitled "Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2017."

The bill comes in the wake of a ransomware attack in California that disabled the largest terminal in the Port of Los Angeles. The bill has bipartisan support — as well as support from a number of other port directors, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce — each of whom has expressed the need to strengthen the cybersecurity of America's ports. The bill is a companion to proposed legislation in the House of Representatives, H.R. 3101.