Senate Committee debuts bipartisan bill to add OT, ICS environments to federal employee cyber competition

The U.S. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee introduced bipartisan legislation to better prepare federal employees to address serious cybersecurity threats. The bill improves the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition, a national cyber competition that identifies and helps train the best cybersecurity talent in the federal workforce, by expanding the competition to include OT (operational technology) and ICS (industrial control systems). 

OT systems and ICS systems manage, monitor, and control industrial operations and are typically overshadowed in the cybersecurity world even though they form the backbone of most major industries, utilities, and critical infrastructure networks.   

The bipartisan legislation has been introduced by Senators Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan and chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Mike Braun, a Republican from Indiana.

“As foreign adversaries continue to test our cybersecurity defenses, it is more important than ever to have a well-equipped workforce that is prepared to repel all cybersecurity threats,” Senator Peters said in a media statement. “My bipartisan bill will keep the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition on the cutting edge as they seek to train our cybersecurity workforce.”    

“The United States prides itself in being a champion in cyber security innovation, with many technical advancements coming out of Indiana,” according to Senator Braun. “I’m proudly cosponsoring this bill that will enhance our national cybersecurity training competition and ultimately protect American technology from cyber-attacks from around the world.” 

The President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition, established in 2019, is a national event to develop and showcase the top cybersecurity talent within the federal workforce. Led and hosted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the President’s Cup aligns with its mission to enhance the size and skills of the U.S. cyber workforce.

The security agency has opened registrations for its fifth annual President’s Cup cybersecurity competition this month. Registration runs Jan. 3 to 23 for the Teams Competition and Jan. 3 – Feb. 6 for the Individuals Competition. Participants can compete as an individual, on a team of up to five members, or both. Teams can be made of individuals from one or more departments or agencies.

The Committee statement identified that the bipartisan Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Competition Act ensures the competition includes testing of skills relevant to cybersecurity for operational technology and industrial control systems to ensure federal cybersecurity professionals are able to effectively work with and support critical infrastructure sectors.  

“Most major industries and utility companies rely on OT and ICS to perform important tasks such as distributing power across states, pumping water from reservoirs, and assembling vehicles in factories,” according to the statement. “In the U.S., water utility companies in particular have seen their internet-connected ICS devices targeted and hacked by foreign adversaries.” 

It also pointed out that last November, at least 10 water utility companies across the U.S. were hacked by an Iran-backed group, allowing the hackers to shut down remotely controlled devices that monitor and regulate pumping station water pressure.

Last May, the Committee reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at safeguarding commercial satellite owners and operators from cyber-attacks. The Satellite Cybersecurity Act mandates that the CISA consolidate voluntary satellite cybersecurity recommendations, including guidance tailored for small businesses, to assist companies in effectively securing their systems. Furthermore, the bill requires CISA to create an easily accessible online resource that provides satellite-specific cybersecurity resources and recommendations to help companies protect their networks.

Anna Ribeiro

Industrial Cyber News Editor. Anna Ribeiro is a freelance journalist with over 14 years of experience in the areas of security, data storage, virtualization and IoT.