Technology — Senators unveil bills aimed at enhancing cyber workforce

Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter

View Online Technology Technology  The Big Story  Senators introduce measures to bolster cyber workforce A bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced bills aimed at strengthening the U.S. cyber workforce and assisting the federal government in its response to cyber threats. © iStock The two bills, sponsored by Sens. Jacky Rosen (D- Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would create pilot programs within the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to recruit qualified civilians cybersecurity workers to serve in a reserve capacity.    The programs are intended to ensure that the government has the cyber talent it needs to "defeat, deter, or respond to malicious cyber activity," according to a release announcing the legislation.   "Cybersecurity threats targeting the United States continue to grow in scale and scope, demonstrating the urgent need for robust civilian cyber reserves capable of addressing these threats and protecting our nation," Rosen said in a statement.   "Our bipartisan legislation will help ensure the U.S. government can leverage existing cybersecurity talent from the private sector to help our nation deter and swiftly respond to cyberattacks," she added.    This follows a national cyber workforce strategy unveiled earlier this month by the Pentagon. The strategy aims to increase and improve the department's labor force by recruiting, training and retaining the best talent.   The agency outlined several goals it plans on implementing in the coming months, including closing workforce development gaps, establishing an enterprise-wide talent management program and fostering collaboration with other government agencies, industry leaders, academia and allied nations. Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, I'm Ines Kagubare — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: DeSantis goes after digital currency in attempt to ban federal effort Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), is urging Florida lawmakers to pass a bill that would ban a federal digital currency in his state, calling it an attempt to push "woke ideology," the Orlando Sentinel reported.  During a news conference on Monday, Desantis said he's against a plan by the Biden administration that would look into whether the U.S. government should create a central bank digital currency (CBDC), which would essentially …  Full Story DeSantis called for Google to be broken up Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called for Google and other major technology companies to be broken up at a closed-door event in 2021, according to video obtained by ProPublica. "I do think companies like Google should be broken up," DeSantis said at an invite-only retreat for the conservative Teneo Network. "They're just too big; they have too much power.” “I think they're exercising a more negative influence on …  Full Story TikTok unveils updated rules, standards ahead of CEO's congressional testimony TikTok on Tuesday unveiled its updated community guidelines, which the company says will focus on improving content moderation on the platform. Some of the key changes include updating the company's rules on how it evaluates content created or altered by AI technology and providing more details about the work it does to protect civic and election integrity. The company also outlined steps it will take to moderate content, which …  Full Story Why pressure is building to ban TikTok The pressure campaign to ban TikTok is building on all fronts in the U.S., from a threat from the administration to congressional proposals and state-led efforts. The mounting scrutiny over the app is based on security risks lawmakers have raised over the app's Chinese-based parent company ByteDance, and now the popular social media platform may face an ultimatum: divest from its owner or be banned in the U.S.   Full Story The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Ferrari suffers data breach   The Italian manufacturer confirmed a ransomware attack exposed the personal information of its customers, but the breach did not have any impact on operations, TechCrunch reported.  Google removes Chinese app over malware concerns The tech giant suspended a Chinese shopping app known as Pinduoduo from its store over security concerns that versions of the application contained malware, CNN reported.    The Hill Event  The Future of Defense: The Next Frontier for Military Flight Thursday, March 23, 2-3 p.m. ET    While Congress debates President Biden's 2024 budget, and the defense spending within it, The Hill will bring together policymakers, Pentagon officials and experts on the defense industrial base for a discussion on the next frontier of military flight technology. Join Senate Armed Services  member Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), chair of the House Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Istari founder & CEO Dr. Will Roper and John Venable, senior fellow for defense policy at The Heritage Foundation, in conversation with The Hill's Bob Cusack.    Register here  On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Chew on Thursday at 10 a.m. The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection will hold a hearing on the state of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the committee's CISA 2025 initiative on Thursday at 10 a.m. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will hold a hearing on the White House National Cybersecurity Strategy on Thursday at 2 p.m. In Other News  Branch out with other reads on The Hill: Democratic senator presses tech companies about AI's threat to teens Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) has written a letter to the executives of major tech firms raising concerns about the danger artificial intelligence technology poses to younger users and asking for more information about safety features after a series of disturbing reports.   Full Story What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Why Putin is casting the Ukraine war as a fight for Russia's survival Russian President Vladimir Putin has increasingly cast the Ukraine war as an epic fight for Russia's survival, accusing the West of "using Ukraine … Read more Trump lawyer: If he's indicted 'this is an all-out war' A lawyer for former President Trump said on Monday that it will be "an all-out war" if Trump is indicted in the Manhattan district attorney's probe … Read more What Others are Reading  Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: The right is wrong: ESG investing did not create the banking crisis   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Technology page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.