Department of Veterans Affairs Information Security Protection Act

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the information security of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Security Protection Act 2. Department of Veterans Affairs information security improvements (a) Submittal of quarterly information security report to Congress Paragraph (14) of subsection (b) of section 5723 and to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives to the Secretary (b) Plan for addressing known information security vulnerabilities Such subsection is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (17) Submitting to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives, by not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, and quarterly thereafter, a plan of action to address critical known information security vulnerabilities that includes— (A) specific milestones regarding time­lines to address such vulnerabilities; (B) a summary of any reports provided to the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology pursuant to subsection (e)(3) during the period covered by the report; (C) a discussion of any risk assessment analysis undertaken by the Department that led to the inclusion of any such vulnerability; and (D) a summary of such plan of action that could be made publicly available. . (c) Plan for replacing outdated operating systems Such subsection is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (18) Submitting to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives, by not later than January 1 of each year, a plan for identifying and replacing operating systems of the Department that are out-of-date or unsupported and that includes— (A) requirements that such an operating system be removed from the network of the Department no later than 15 days after the date on which the operating system was identified as being out-of-date or unsupported; and (B) information concerning the number of systems so identified during the year preceding the year in which the report is submitted, when each such system was so identified, and when each system so identified was removed from the network of the Department. . (d) Software security Such subsection is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (19) Ensuring that any software or Internet applications used on systems by the Department are secure from vulnerabilities that could affect the confidentiality of sensitive personal information of veterans. . 3. Information technology reporting requirements (a) In general Chapter 57 (1) by redesignating sections 5727 and 5728 as sections 5729 and 5730, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 5726 the following new sections: 5727. Reporting requirements Not later than 30 days after the last day of each fiscal quarter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report that includes the following information for that fiscal quarter: (1) A detailed description of any incidents of failure to comply with established information security policies that occurred during that quarter. (2) Any actions taken in response to such an incident. (3) Any reports made under paragraphs (8) through (10) of subsection (b) of section 5723 of this title during that quarter. (4) Written certification that the requirements of section 5722(c) of this title were followed during that quarter. (5) A detailed discussion of whether each recommendation made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Office of Management and Budget, or the Department of Homeland Security relating to information security have been implemented by the Department, and if not, an explanation of why such recommendation was not implemented. (6) Steps taken to ensure the security of the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture of the Department that allows for an integrated inpatient and outpatient electronic health record for patients and provides administrative tools to employees of the Department taken during that quarter. 5728. Information security strategic plan (a) Plan required Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, veterans groups, and appropriate industry specialists, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a strategic plan for improving the information security of the Department. Such plan shall address— (1) methods of protecting the sensitive personal information of veterans while not unduly interfering with the ability of the Department to provide benefits and services to veterans and their dependents; (2) how the Department can improve its compliance with information security requirements; (3) training and recruitment of employees with the necessary expertise and abilities in information security; and (4) the institutional capability of the Department to address information security threats and to implement best practices related to information security. (b) Biannual updates The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives biannual updates to the plan required by subsection (a). . (b) Clerical amendments The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by striking the items relating to sections 5727 and 5728 and inserting the following new items: 5727. Reporting requirements. 5728. Information security strategic plan. 5729. Definitions. 5730. Authorization of appropriations. . 4. Requirements for Department of Veterans Affairs contracts for data processing or maintenance (a) In general Section 5725(a) (1) in paragraph (2), by striking the period and inserting ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) the contractor shall provide protective measures to safeguard from possible information security threats any information provided by the Department that will be resident on or transiting through information systems controlled by the contractor. . (b) Applicability Paragraph (3) of section 5725(a)

Summary: Department of Veterans Affairs Information Security Protection Act - Requires the Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Information and Technology to submit to the congressional veterans committees (under current law, only to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs) quarterly reports on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compliance with federally-required information security improvements. Directs the Assistant Secretary to submit to such committees: (1) quarterly, a plan of action to address critical known VA information security vulnerabilities; and (2) annually, a plan for identifying and replacing VA operating systems that are out-of-date or unsupported. Requires the Assistant Secretary to ensure that any software or Internet applications used on VA operating systems are secure from vulnerabilities that could affect the confidentiality of sensitive personal information on veterans. Directs the Secretary to report, quarterly, to such committees on any incidents of failure to comply with established information security policies, any actions taken in response to such incidents, and certain related information. Requires the Secretary to submit a strategic plan for improving VA information security and to update such plan at least every two years. Requires VA contractors with access to sensitive personal information to provide protective measures to safeguard from possible information security threats any information provided by the VA that will be resident on, or transiting through, information systems controlled by that contractor.