New House Bill Aims to Drive Americans' Security Awareness

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced legislation that seeks to increase Americans' cybersecurity literacy and security awareness, following several high-profile attacks on critical infrastructure in recent months.

Known as the American Cybersecurity Literacy Act, the bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish a security awareness-style campaign to help citizens familiarize with security risks and common criminal tactics such as phishing. The effort would also establish a curriculum to teach best practices for preventing cyberattacks, like multi-factor authentication and proper password use.

The legislation is led by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and co-sponsored by Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.).

"Over the past few months, we have seen rampant cyberattacks across the United States that have disrupted business, increased consumer costs, and threatened our national security," said Kinzinger in a press release on the legislation. "In order to prevent these attacks going forward, we must combine public awareness with targeted cyber education."

More information on the bill can be found here.