CYBER AT STATE

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are praising the upcoming establishment of a new cybersecurity bureau at the State Department, following years of advocacy and escalating global attacks.

The move to establish a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, first reported Monday by The Wall Street Journal, would help to resolve criticism around the State Department’s leadership on international cyber diplomacy efforts after the decision by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in 2017 to merge a former cybersecurity office with another bureau.

Following ongoing criticism of the move, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the establishment of the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies days before former President Trump left office, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle objected to the setup of the office and said that its establishment was rushed.

Following the confirmation of the office, lawmakers who have long pushed for greater prioritization of cyber diplomacy at the department celebrated the move.

These included House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Mike McCaul (R-Texas), the primary sponsor of the Cyber Diplomacy Act. The bipartisan bill, passed by the House earlier this year, would require the State Department take steps similar to the new efforts set to be announced Wednesday with the goal of elevating cybersecurity at the agency.