Title: Improving Cybersecurity of Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Local Governments Act of 2021
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Improving Cybersecurity of Small Organizations Act of 2021
This bill requires the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to maintain and promote cybersecurity guidance for use by small organizations.
Specifically, the bill requires CISA to maintain cybersecurity guidance that documents and promotes evidence-based cybersecurity policies and controls for use by small organizations to improve their cybersecurity. This guidance must be publicly available at no cost, and CISA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Department of Commerce must promote the guidance through relevant resources that are regularly used by small organizations.
Commerce must report on methods of incentivizing small organizations to improve their cybersecurity, including through the adoption of policies, controls, products, and services that have been demonstrated to reduce cybersecurity risk. Every two years, the SBA must submit and make publicly available specified data on the state of small businesses' cybersecurity.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2483 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2483

    To require the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
     Security Agency to establish cybersecurity guidance for small 
                 organizations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2021

 Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
     Security Agency to establish cybersecurity guidance for small 
                 organizations, 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 ``Improving Cybersecurity of Small 
Organizations Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING CYBERSECURITY OF SMALL ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the 
        Small Business Administration.
            (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Administration.
            (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (4) Connected device.--The term ``connected device'' means 
        any electronic equipment that is--
                    (A) primarily designed for or marketed to 
                consumers;
                    (B) capable of connecting to the internet or 
                another communication network; and
                    (C) capable of sending, receiving, or processing 
                personal information.
            (5) Cybersecurity guidance.--The term ``cybersecurity 
        guidance'' means the cybersecurity guidance maintained and 
        promoted under subsections (b) and (c), respectively.
            (6) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
            (7) NIST.--The term ``NIST'' means the National Institute 
        of Standards and Technology.
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (9) Small business.--The term ``small business'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``small business concern'' in section 3 
        of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
            (10) Small governmental jurisdiction.--The term ``small 
        governmental jurisdiction'' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 601 of title 5, United States Code.
            (11) Small nonprofit.--The term ``small nonprofit'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``small organization'' in section 601 of 
        title 5, United States Code.
            (12) Small organization.--The term ``small organization'' 
        means an organization that is unlikely to employ a specialist 
        in cybersecurity, including--
                    (A) a small business;
                    (B) a small nonprofit; and
                    (C) a small governmental jurisdiction.
    (b) Cybersecurity Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall maintain cybersecurity 
        guidance that documents and promotes evidence-based 
        cybersecurity policies and controls for use by small 
        organizations, which shall--
                    (A) include simple, basic controls that have the 
                most impact in protecting small organizations against 
                common cybersecurity threats and risks;
                    (B) include guidance to address common 
                cybersecurity threats and risks posed by connected 
                devices that are personal to the employees and 
                contractors of small organizations, as well as 
                connected devices that are issued to those employees 
                and contractors by small organizations; and
                    (C) recommend--
                            (i) measures to improve the cybersecurity 
                        of small organizations; and
                            (ii) configurations and settings for some 
                        of the most commonly used software that can 
                        improve the cybersecurity of small 
                        organizations.
            (2) Consistency.--The Director shall ensure the 
        cybersecurity guidance maintained under paragraph (1) is 
        consistent with--
                    (A) cybersecurity resources developed by NIST, as 
                required by the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act 
                (Public Law 115-236); and
                    (B) the most recent version of the Cybersecurity 
                Framework, or successor resource, maintained by NIST.
            (3) Guidance for specific types of small organizations.--
        The Director may include cybersecurity guidance, as required 
        under paragraph (1), appropriate for specific types of small 
        organizations in addition to guidance applicable for all small 
        organizations.
            (4) Updates.--
                    (A) In general.--The Director shall review the 
                cybersecurity guidance maintained under paragraph (1) 
                not less frequently than annually and update the 
                cybersecurity guidance as appropriate.
                    (B) Consultation.--In updating the cybersecurity 
                guidance under subparagraph (A), the Director shall, to 
                the degree practicable and as appropriate, consult 
                with--
                            (i) the Administrator, the Secretary, and 
                        the Commission;
                            (ii) small organizations, insurers, State 
                        governments, companies that work with small 
                        organizations, and academic and Federal and 
                        non-Federal experts in cybersecurity; and
                            (iii) any other entity as determined by the 
                        Director.
            (5) User interface.--As appropriate, the Director shall 
        consult with experts regarding the design of a user interface 
        for the cybersecurity guidance.
    (c) Promotion of Cybersecurity Guidance for Small Businesses.--
            (1) Public availability.--The cybersecurity guidance 
        maintained under subsection (b)(1) shall be--
                    (A) made available, prominently and free of charge, 
                on the public website of the Cybersecurity 
                Infrastructure Security Agency; and
                    (B) linked to from relevant portions of the 
                websites of the Administration and the Minority 
                Business Development Agency.
            (2) Promotion generally.--The Director, the Administrator, 
        and the Secretary shall, to the degree practicable, promote the 
        cybersecurity guidance through relevant resources that are 
        intended for or known to be regularly used by small 
        organizations, including agency documents, websites, and 
        events.
    (d) Report on Incentivizing Cybersecurity for Small 
Organizations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report describing methods to incentivize small organizations to 
        improve their cybersecurity, including through the adoption of 
        policies, controls, products and services that have been 
        demonstrated to reduce cybersecurity risk.
            (2) Matters to be included.--The report required under 
        paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) identify barriers or challenges for small 
                organizations in purchasing or acquiring products and 
                services that promote the cybersecurity;
                    (B) assess market availability, market pricing, and 
                affordability of products and services that promote the 
                cybersecurity for small organizations, with particular 
                attention to identifying high-risk and underserved 
                sectors or regions;
                    (C) estimate the cost of tax breaks, grants, 
                subsidies, or other incentives to increase the adoption 
                of policies and controls or acquisition of products and 
                services that promote the cybersecurity of small 
                organizations;
                    (D) as practicable, consult the certifications and 
                requirement for cloud services described in the final 
                report of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 
                established under section 1652 of the John S. McCain 
                National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 
                (Public Law 115-232; 132 Stat. 2140);
                    (E) describe evidence-based cybersecurity controls 
                and policies that improve cybersecurity for small 
                organizations;
                    (F) with respect to the incentives described in 
                subparagraph (C), recommend measures that can 
                effectively improve cybersecurity at scale for small 
                organizations; and
                    (G) include any other matters as the Secretary 
                determines relevant.
            (3) Guidance for specific types of small organizations.--In 
        preparing the report required under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary may include matters applicable for specific types of 
        small organizations in addition to matters applicable to all 
        small organizations.
            (4) Consultation.--In preparing the report required under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with--
                    (A) the Administrator, the Director, and the 
                Commission; and
                    (B) small organizations, insurers of risks related 
                to cybersecurity, State governments, cybersecurity and 
                information technology companies that work with small 
                organizations, and academic and Federal and non-Federal 
                experts in cybersecurity.
    (e) Periodic Census on State of Cybersecurity of Small 
Businesses.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and not less frequently than every 24 
        months thereafter for not more than 10 years, the Administrator 
        shall submit to Congress and make publicly available data on 
        the state of cybersecurity of small businesses, including--
                    (A) adoption of the cybersecurity guidance among 
                small businesses;
                    (B) the most significant and widespread 
                cybersecurity threats facing small businesses;
                    (C) the amount small businesses spend on 
                cybersecurity products and services; and
                    (D) the personnel small businesses dedicate to 
                cybersecurity (including the amount of total personnel 
                time, whether by employees or contractors, dedicated to 
                cybersecurity efforts).
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
        produced in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
            (3) Consultation.--In preparing the report required under 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consult with--
                    (A) the Secretary, the Director, and the 
                Commission; and
                    (B) small businesses, insurers of risks related to 
                cybersecurity, cybersecurity and information technology 
                companies that work with small businesses, and academic 
                and Federal and non-Federal experts in cybersecurity.
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