South Lake Today

On September 17, 2024, Rep. Webster (R-FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, alongside Ranking Member Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Gary Peters (D-MI), introduced the Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act. This bill aims to address potential cybersecurity threats at ports across the United States by ensuring that ports take proper steps to protect against these threats when purchasing equipment and software with federal funding provided by the Port Infrastructure Development Program.

“The threats posed by the introduction of new software and digital infrastructure continue to be a huge concern of mine,” said Chairman Webster. “We must ensure that ports continue to keep cybersecurity vulnerabilities in mind to insulate their operations against any potential attacks by those wishing to disrupt our supply chains. This legislation is an important step in doing just that.”

“As we’ve seen over the past few years, our ports are vital to maintaining an operational and fluid supply chain. Unfortunately, cyber-attacks at our ports are ever increasing and putting our supply chain at risk. I’m happy to support this bill which would strengthen port cybersecurity and ensure federal funds are going to recipients that safeguard our supply chain and goods,” said Ranking Member Carbajal.

“As technology continues to advance and global tensions rise, we must take steps to address the growing threat posed by adversaries looking to access sensitive information or disrupt supply chains at our ports,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would mitigate the risk of cyber-espionage by foreign countries and help ensure the digital infrastructure and technology at our ports is secure.”

“This commonsense, bipartisan bill would help strengthen our nation’s defenses against cyberattacks by making sure ports have the necessary digital infrastructure and safeguards in place to protect both U.S. national security and supply chains as goods move throughout our waterways,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports.

The legislation amends the Port Infrastructure Development Program—a federal grant program administered by the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation—to include a requirement that applicants ensure their existing Facility Security Plans protect against any cybersecurity threats presented by software or digital infrastructure purchased with grant funding. The legislation also allows applicants to include plans in their applications to protect against cybersecurity threats posed by these items and subsequently update their Facility Security Plans based on current law requirements.