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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity (SVAC) Act of 2022, a bill co-led by Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), with overwhelming bipartisan support.
"The recent cyber attack against Suffolk County underlined the urgent need to address aging and insufficient cybersecurity systems and practices in the face of rising cyber threats,” said Rep. Garbarino, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee’s Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee. “I am proud to see the timely passage of this bill, which will go a long way to strengthen VA cybersecurity and safeguard the private information of our veterans.”
The purpose of the SVAC Act of 2022 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 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; and
- Require the GAO to review VA’s plan and evaluate if the cost estimates and timelines are realistic.
The full text of the SVAC Act of 2022 can be viewed here.
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