Hack Your State Department Act
Bill: H.R.3313 | Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted (D-CA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Hack Your State Department Act
This bill requires the Department of State to design, establish, and make publicly known a Vulnerability Disclosure Process to improve cybersecurity. In establishing the process, the State Department must identify which information technology should be included, determine whether the process should differentiate among and specify the types of security vulnerabilities that may be targeted, and provide a readily available form and means of reporting, among other requirements.
The bill also requires the State Department to establish a bug bounty pilot program, under which an approved individual, organization, or company is temporarily authorized to identify and report vulnerabilities of internet-facing information technology of the State Department in exchange for compensation.

To require the Secretary of State to design and establish a 
 Vulnerability Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve Department of State 
     cybersecurity and a bug bounty program to identify and report 
   vulnerabilities of internet-facing information technology of the 
              Department of State, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hack Your State Department Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Bug bounty program.--The term ``bug bounty program'' 
        means a program under which an approved individual, 
        organization, or company is temporarily authorized to identify 
        and report vulnerabilities of internet-facing information 
        technology of the Department in exchange for compensation.
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of State.
            (3) Information technology.--The term ``information 
        technology'' has the meaning given such term in section 11101 
        of title 40, United States Code.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of State.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF STATE VULNERABILITY DISCLOSURE PROCESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall design, establish, and make 
publicly known a Vulnerability Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve 
Department cybersecurity by--
            (1) providing security researchers with clear guidelines 
        for--
                    (A) conducting vulnerability discovery activities 
                directed at Department information technology; and
                    (B) submitting discovered security vulnerabilities 
                to the Department; and
            (2) creating Department procedures and infrastructure to 
        receive and fix discovered vulnerabilities.
    (b) Requirements.--In establishing the VDP pursuant to paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall--
            (1) identify which Department information technology should 
        be included in the process;
            (2) determine whether the process should differentiate 
        among and specify the types of security vulnerabilities that 
        may be targeted;
            (3) provide a readily available means of reporting 
        discovered security vulnerabilities and the form in which such 
        vulnerabilities should be reported;
            (4) identify which Department offices and positions will be 
        responsible for receiving, prioritizing, and addressing 
        security vulnerability disclosure reports;
            (5) consult with the Attorney General regarding how to 
        ensure that individuals, organizations, and companies that 
        comply with the requirements of the process are protected from 
        prosecution under section 1030 of title 18, United States Code, 
        and similar provisions of law for specific activities 
        authorized under the process;
            (6) consult with the relevant offices at the Department of 
        Defense that were responsible for launching the 2016 
        Vulnerability Disclosure Program, ``Hack the Pentagon'', and 
        subsequent Department of Defense bug bounty programs;
            (7) engage qualified interested persons, including 
        nongovernmental sector representatives, about the structure of 
        the process as constructive and to the extent practicable; and
            (8) award contracts to entities, as necessary, to manage 
        the process and implement the remediation of discovered 
        security vulnerabilities.
    (c) Annual Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the 
establishment of the VDP under subsection (a) and annually thereafter 
for the next six years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the VDP, 
including information relating to the following:
            (1) The number and severity of all security vulnerabilities 
        reported.
            (2) The number of previously unidentified security 
        vulnerabilities remediated as a result.
            (3) The current number of outstanding previously 
        unidentified security vulnerabilities and Department of State 
        remediation plans.
            (4) The average length of time between the reporting of 
        security vulnerabilities and remediation of such 
        vulnerabilities.
            (5) The resources, surge staffing, roles, and 
        responsibilities within the Department used to implement the 
        VDP and complete security vulnerability remediation.
            (6) Any other information the Secretary determines 
        relevant.

SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUG BOUNTY PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Pilot Program.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a bug 
        bounty pilot program to minimize security vulnerabilities of 
        internet-facing information technology of the Department.
            (2) Requirements.--In establishing the pilot program 
        described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) provide compensation for reports of previously 
                unidentified security vulnerabilities within the 
                websites, applications, and other internet-facing 
                information technology of the Department that are 
                accessible to the public;
                    (B) award contracts to entities, as necessary, to 
                manage such pilot program and for executing the 
                remediation of security vulnerabilities identified 
                pursuant to subparagraph (A);
                    (C) identify which Department information 
                technology should be included in such pilot program;
                    (D) consult with the Attorney General on how to 
                ensure that individuals, organizations, or companies 
                that comply with the requirements of such pilot program 
                are protected from prosecution under section 1030 of 
                title 18, United States Code, and similar provisions of 
                law for specific activities authorized under such pilot 
                program;
                    (E) consult with the relevant offices at the 
                Department of Defense that were responsible for 
                launching the 2016 ``Hack the Pentagon'' pilot program 
                and subsequent Department of Defense bug bounty 
                programs;
                    (F) develop a process by which an approved 
                individual, organization, or company can register with 
                the entity referred to in subparagraph (B), submit to a 
                background check as determined by the Department, and 
                receive a determination as to eligibility for 
                participation in such pilot program;
                    (G) engage qualified interested persons, including 
                nongovernmental sector representatives, about the 
                structure of such pilot program as constructive and to 
                the extent practicable; and
                    (H) consult with relevant United States Government 
                officials to ensure that such pilot program complements 
                persistent network and vulnerability scans of the 
                Department of State's internet-accessible systems, such 
                as the scans conducted pursuant to Binding Operational 
                Directive BOD-19-02 or successor Directive.
            (3) Duration.--The pilot program established under 
        paragraph (1) should be short-term in duration and not last 
        longer than one year.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
bug bounty pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives a report on such pilot program, including information 
relating to--
            (1) the number of approved individuals, organizations, or 
        companies involved in such pilot program, broken down by the 
        number of approved individuals, organizations, or companies 
        that--
                    (A) registered;
                    (B) were approved;
                    (C) submitted security vulnerabilities; and
                    (D) received compensation;
            (2) the number and severity of all security vulnerabilities 
        reported as part of such pilot program;
            (3) the number of previously unidentified security 
        vulnerabilities remediated as a result of such pilot program;
            (4) the current number of outstanding previously 
        unidentified security vulnerabilities and Department 
        remediation plans;
            (5) the average length of time between the reporting of 
        security vulnerabilities and remediation of such 
        vulnerabilities;
            (6) the types of compensation provided under such pilot 
        program; and
            (7) the lessons learned from such pilot program.
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