A new bill with bipartisan support has been proposed by US lawmakers, with the intention of enhancing the cybersecurity of America’s healthcare and public health (HPH) sector.
The Healthcare Cybersecurity Act (S.3904) was proposed by US senators Jacky Rosen and Bill Cassidy on Thursday. The proposal is likely a reaction to the White House warning over the increased risk of cyberattacks hitting the US amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Health centres save lives and hold a lot of sensitive, personal information, making them a prime target for cyber-attacks,” said Cassidy, “This bill protects patients’ data and public health by strengthening our resilience to cyber warfare.”
One of the act’s key goals is to improve collaboration between the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The legislation would require CISA to complete a detailed study on cybersecurity risk facing the HPH sector, working with the HHS on a range of cybersecurity measures.
