Bill Aims to Boost Defense Manufacturer Cyber Protections

A consortium of public-private partnership groups that help manufacturers meet federal guidelines would receive broader authority to help defense manufacturers amp up their cyber protections, under a bill introduced Friday by House and Senate lawmakers.

The bill would authorize Manufacturing Extension Partnerships to conduct voluntary assessments of small defense manufacturers' cyber protections and to help those manufacturers implement fixes for cyber vulnerabilities.

Sponsors include Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.