Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mark Warner (D-VA), both members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, have introduced the Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2024. This bipartisan legislation aims to bolster federal cybersecurity by requiring federal contractors to adhere to guidelines established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
“Federal agencies and contractors need to be promptly alerted to cyber vulnerabilities so they can address them quickly,” Senator Lankford said in a release. “By enhancing cybersecurity measures, we can ensure that contractors and agencies stay focused on serving the American public while safeguarding data and systems from cyberattacks.”
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Senator Warner emphasized the importance of Vulnerability Disclosure Policies (VDP), stating, “VDPs are a proactive tool to identify and address software vulnerabilities. This bill will ensure that federal contractors, like federal agencies, follow national guidelines to better protect our critical infrastructure and sensitive data from potential threats.”
VDPs allow organizations to receive reports on software vulnerabilities, enabling them to address issues before attacks occur. While civilian federal agencies are already required to implement VDPs, federal contractors—both civilian and defense—currently face no such mandate.
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This legislation would change that by requiring federal contractors to adopt VDPs and formalize their processes for accepting, assessing, and managing vulnerability reports, reducing cybersecurity risks.
The Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act of 2024 would:
- Require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to update the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to ensure federal contractors implement a vulnerability disclosure policy consistent with federal agency requirements.
- Require the Secretary of Defense to oversee updates to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to ensure defense contractors also comply with these requirements.
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