Recognizing Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

This month is a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity in our increasingly technology-driven world. We must emphasize the importance of cybersecurity and take proactive steps to enhance our security both at home and in the workplace.

That includes making a concerted effort to train dedicated professionals who work to protect citizen privacy, consumer data, and e-commerce. Training postsecondary students in cybersecurity-related fields of study will be an instrumental part in protecting data and the flow of sensitive information.

That is why I join my colleague, Congressman Jim Langevin, in introducing a bipartisan bill to strengthen cybersecurity education in career and technical education programs.

H.R. 1592, the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, directs the Department of Education to create a competitive grant program that integrates cybersecurity education into new and established postsecondary career and technical education programs. This bill also requires the Secretary of Education to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the defense of our critical infrastructure and networks, to promote a robust ecosystem of cybersecurity education and training.

We must prepare our next generation of learners to have the most sophisticated and comprehensive educational programs to protect our Nation's critical asset systems and networks.

Despite the real harm and damage that can result from cyberattacks, cybersecurity is rarely covered enough in our current workforce development programs. That is why, together with my friend Congressman Langevin, we have introduced this bill to help protect our sensitive data and critical infrastructure from bad actors.

Madam Speaker, we must continue developing a 21st century workforce to meet the technical demands our country is facing now and in the future. This includes our cybersecurity.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and for every citizen to learn more about protecting their privacy and data online during this Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

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