Latino Public Radio: Langevin, Ratcliffe U.S.-Israel cybersecurity legislation signed into law

Latino Public Radio: Langevin, Ratcliffe U.S.-Israel cybersecurity legislation signed into law

By Reynaldo Almonte

WASHINGTON – Legislation introduced by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Rep. John
Ratcliffe (R-TX) was signed into law Friday to strengthen collaborative
cybersecurity research and development efforts between the United States and Israel.
The pair of lawmakers introduced the United States-Israel Advanced Research
Partnership Act of 2016 (H.R. 5877) after returning from a congressional delegation
trip to Israel in July that focused on addressing key cybersecurity issues facing
both countries.

“Cybersecurity is the national and economic security challenge of our time, and we
must use every resource at our disposal to support research, foster innovation, and
fortify our cyber defenses. This must include a collaborative approach that allows
us to work with our leading partners, like Israel, to develop new technologies for
our cyber incident responders,” Langevin said. “Passage of this law will enhance
cybersecurity for the United States and Israel, putting us on a shared path toward
innovative solutions to the threats we face. I look forward to continuing to work
with Chairman Ratcliffe to strengthen our relationship with Israel, including by
passage of the United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act next
Congress.”

“My work as a cybersecurity subcommittee chairman over the past two years has
focused on ensuring American citizens are protected from the growing national
security threats posed by malicious cyber actors who intend to do our nation harm.
I’m glad I was able to work closely with Rep. Langevin to craft legislation to
advance this important fight that is now the law of the land,” Ratcliffe said.

The lawmakers said their meetings with top Israeli officials, including Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon, laid a critical
foundation for their U.S.-Israel cybersecurity legislation.

“When Rep. Langevin and I traveled to Israel earlier this year, our discussions with
Israeli national security and cybersecurity leaders revealed the immense wealth of
untapped potential we can leverage together to collectively vamp up our efforts to
combat growing cyber threats. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work
more closely with a country that’s a proven pioneer in cyber science and a top
leader in cyber expertise,” Ratcliffe said.

The United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act expands a successful
binational research and development program at the Homeland Security Advanced
Research Projects Agency to include cybersecurity technologies. This collaboration
between DHS and the Israeli Ministry of Public Security helps new products through
the “valley of death” between basic and early-phase applied research and successful
commercialization, and will help both countries develop solutions to the unique
security problems found in the cyber domain.

Langevin is a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, and the
co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus. Ratcliffe chairs
the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection
and Security Technologies.