Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015
A BILL
To improve Federal network security and authorize and enhance an existing intrusion detection and prevention system for civilian Federal networks.
Sec. 2 Definitions
Sec. 3 Improved Federal network security
“228. Cybersecurity plans
“(a) Definitions—In this section—
“(1) the term agency information system means an information system used or operated by an agency, by a contractor of an agency, or by another entity on behalf of an agency;
“(2) the terms cybersecurity risk and information system have the meanings given those terms in section 227; and
“(3) the term information sharing and analysis organization has the meaning given the term in section 212(5); and
“(43) the term intelligence community has the meaning given the term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).
“(b) Intrusion assessment plan
“(1) Requirement—The Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall develop and implement an intrusion assessment plan to identify and remove intruders in agency information systems.
“(2) Exception—The intrusion assessment plan required under paragraph (1) shall not apply to the Department of Defense or an element of the intelligence community.”
“230. Federal intrusion detection and prevention system
“(a) Definitions—In this section—
“(1) the term agency has the meaning given that term in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code;
“(2) the term agency information means information collected or maintained by or on behalf of an agency;
“(3) the term agency information system has the meaning given the term in section 228; and
“(4) the terms cybersecurity risk and information system have the meanings given those terms in section 227.
“(b) Requirement
“(1) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall deploy, operate, and maintain, to make available for use by any agency, with or without reimbursement—
“(A) a capability to detect cybersecurity risks in network traffic transiting or traveling to or from an agency information system; and
“(B) a capability to prevent network traffic associated with such cybersecurity risks from transiting or traveling to or from an agency information system or modify such network traffic to remove the cybersecurity risk.
“(2) Regular improvement—The Secretary shall regularly deploy new technologies and modify existing technologies to the intrusion detection and prevention capabilities described in paragraph (1) as appropriate to improve the intrusion detection and prevention capabilities.
“(c) Activities—In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary—
“(1) may access, and the head of an agency may disclose to the Secretary or a private entity providing assistance to the Secretary under paragraph (2), information transiting or traveling to or from an agency information system, regardless of the location from which the Secretary or a private entity providing assistance to the Secretary under paragraph (2) accesses such information, notwithstanding any other provision of law that would otherwise restrict or prevent the head of an agency from disclosing such information to the Secretary or a private entity providing assistance to the Secretary under paragraph (2);
“(2) may enter into contracts or other agreements with, or otherwise request and obtain the assistance of, private entities to deploy and operate technologies in accordance with subsection (b);
“(3) may retain, use, and disclose information obtained through the conduct of activities authorized under this section only to protect information and information systems from cybersecurity risks;
“(4) shall regularly assess through operational test and evaluation in real world or simulated environments available advanced protective technologies to improve detection and prevention capabilities, including commercial and non-commercial technologies and detection technologies beyond signature-based detection, and utilize such technologies when appropriate;
“(5) shall establish a pilot to acquire, test, and deploy, as rapidly as possible, technologies described in paragraph (4); and
“(6) shall periodically update the privacy impact assessment required under section 208(b) of the E-Government Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note).; and
“(7) shall ensure that—
“(A) activities carried out under this section are reasonably necessary for the purpose of protecting agency information and agency information systems from a cybersecurity risk;
“(B) information accessed by the Secretary will be retained no longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose of protecting agency information and agency information systems from a cybersecurity risk;
“(C) notice has been provided to users of an agency information system concerning access to communications of users of the agency information system for the purpose of protecting agency information and the agency information system; and
“(D) the activities are implemented pursuant to policies and procedures governing the operation of the intrusion detection and prevention capabilities.
“(d) Private entities
“(1) Conditions—A private entity described in subsection (c)(2) may not—
“(A) disclose any network traffic transiting or traveling to or from an agency information system to any entity other than the Department or the agency that disclosed the information under subsection (c)(1); or
“(B) use any network traffic transiting or traveling to or from an agency information system to which the private entity gains access in accordance with this section for any purpose other than to protect agency information and agency information systems against cybersecurity risks or to administer a contract or other agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (c)(2) or as part of another contract with the Secretary.
“(2) Limitation on liability—No cause of action shall lie in any court against a private entity for assistance provided to the Secretary in accordance with this section and any contract or agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (c)(2).
“(3) Rule of construction—Nothing in paragraph (2) shall be construed to authorize an Internet service provider to break a user agreement with a customer.
“(e) Attorney General review—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Attorney General shall review the policies and guidelines for the program carried out under this section to ensure that the policies and guidelines are consistent with applicable law governing the acquisition, interception, retention, use, and disclosure of communications.”
Sec. 4 Advanced internal defenses
Sec. 5 Federal cybersecurity best practices
Sec. 6 Assessment; reports
Sec. 7 Termination
Sec. 8 Identification of unclassified information systems
Sec. 9 OPM data breach damage assessment
Sec. 10 Direction to agencies
“(h) Direction to agencies
“(1) Authority
“(A) In general—Notwithstanding section 3554, and subject to subparagraph (B), in response to a known or reasonably suspected information security threat, vulnerability, or incident that represents a substantial threat to the information security of an agency, the Secretary may issue a directive to the head of an agency to take any lawful action with respect to the operation of the information system, including such systems owned or operated by another entity on behalf of an agency, that collects, processes, stores, transmits, disseminates, or otherwise maintains agency information, for the purpose of protecting the information system from, or mitigating, an information security threat.
“(B) Exception—The authorities of the Secretary under this subsection shall not apply to a system described in paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (e).
“(2) Procedures for use of authority—The Secretary shall—
“(A) in coordination with the Director, establish procedures governing the circumstances under which a directive may be issued under this subsection, which shall include—
“(i) thresholds and other criteria;
“(ii) privacy and civil liberties protections; and
“(iii) providing notice to potentially affected third parties;
“(B) specify the reasons for the required action and the duration of the directive;
“(C) minimize the impact of a directive under this subsection by—
“(i) adopting the least intrusive means possible under the circumstances to secure the agency information systems; and
“(ii) limiting directives to the shortest period practicable;
“(D) notify the Director and the head of any affected agency immediately upon the issuance of a directive under this subsection; and
“(E) not later than February 1 of each year, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the specific actions the Secretary has taken pursuant to paragraph (1)(A).
“(3) Imminent threats
“(A) In general—If the Secretary determines that there is an imminent threat to agency information systems and a directive under this subsection is not reasonably likely to result in a timely response to the threat, the Secretary may authorize the use of protective capabilities under the control of the Secretary for communications or other system traffic transiting to or from or stored on an agency information system without prior consultation with the affected agency for the purpose of ensuring the security of the information or information system or other agency information systems.
“(B) Notice—The Secretary shall immediately notify the Director, the head and chief information officer (or equivalent official) of each agency to which specific actions were taken pursuant to subparagraph (A), and the appropriate congressional committees and authorizing committees of each such agencies of—
“(i) any action taken under subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) the reasons for and duration and nature of the action.
“(C) Other law—Any action of the Secretary under this paragraph shall be consistent with applicable law.
“(D) Limitation on delegation—The authority under this paragraph may not be delegated to an official in a position lower than an Under Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
“(4) Limitation—The Secretary may direct or authorize lawful action or protective capability under this subsection only to—
“(A) protect agency information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction; or
“(B) require the remediation of or protect against identified information security risks with respect to—
“(i) information collected or maintained by or on behalf of an agency; or
“(ii) that portion of an information system used or operated by an agency or by a contractor of an agency or other organization on behalf of an agency.
“(i) Annual report to Congress—Not later than February 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the specific actions the Director has taken pursuant to subsection (a)(5), including any actions taken pursuant to section 11303(b)(5) of title 40.
“(j) Appropriate congressional committees—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
“(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
“(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.”