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Washington, DC – Following passage of the U.S. Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2024 authorization bill, the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition released the following statement:
“Section 1502 represents a huge milestone for our national cybersecurity posture. The Department of Defense is addressing existing ICS/OT cybersecurity risks that seriously threaten our military readiness and national security. Once the new Strategic Cybersecurity Program is in place, the private and public sector must work together to ensure full accountability for safeguarding our mission-critical systems.”
In news reports from earlier this year, the Biden Administration, along with “Five Eyes” intelligence partners, revealed that it believes state-sponsored Chinese hackers have installed malware on U.S. networks that could affect military operations such as cutting off power, water, and communications to U.S. military bases.
On November 8, 2023, the OT Cyber Coalition sent a letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committee leadership urging conferees to protect the provision focused on addressing the cybersecurity risks of DoD’s critical infrastructure.
The bill will now go to President Biden for his signature.
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About the OT Cyber Coalition
The Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition is a diverse group of leading cybersecurity vendors dedicated to improving the cybersecurity of OT environments. Representing the entire OT lifecycle, the OT Cyber Coalition believes that the strongest, most effective approach to securing our nation’s critical infrastructure is one that is open, vendor-neutral, and allows for diverse solutions and information sharing without compromising cybersecurity defenses. For more information, visit https://www.otcybercoalition.org/.