Chabot, Turner, Fudge Introduce Defense Authorization Amendment to Bolster Cyber Security Tools

Press Release

U.S. Representatives Steve Chabot (R-Westwood), Mike Turner (R-Dayton) and Marcia Fudge (D-Cleveland) this week submitted to the House Rules Committee an amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to help bolster cyber security efforts nationwide. Specifically, the amendment would provide $3 million for the National Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust (CHEST), a cyber security consortium led by the University of Cincinnati in partnership with several other national universities and in conjunction with the Department of Defense.

"Cyber security is one of the greatest challenges to our national security that we face in the 21st Century," said Chabot. "Just this week alone, we've learned about Russian efforts to steal COVID-19 vaccine research from the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, and Twitter suffered a major attack in which a massive number of accounts were compromised, including those of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. As a nation, we must coordinate our efforts to protect our vital technological infrastructure against these intrusive hacking operations. This amendment is a major step in the right direction, and will help to develop and disseminate the best tools and practices possible through the work of the National Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust. We are particularly fortunate in Cincinnati to have prominent experts in the field at the University of Cincinnati, leading the way to stronger, more resilient cyber security systems."

"The University of Cincinnati applauds Congressmen Chabot and Turner and Congresswoman Fudge for their strong support of initiatives that help provide cyber security tools for the nation through this amendment," said University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto, PhD. "Their combined support strengthens the ability at both regional and national levels to safeguard, protect, and actively defend our country's critical computing assets and infrastructure. The National Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust (CHEST), led by the University of Cincinnati in partnership with the University of Virginia, University of Connecticut, Northeastern University, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of California at Davis, is a consortium of academia, industry, and the Department of Defense which works to address critical issues related to computer hardware and embedded systems security, assurance, and trust that provides the best tools and practices for the nation. Securing these critical assets and platforms is essential to protect the United States' competitive economic advantage globally, while advancing U.S. national security overall."

The funds provided by the amendment will help to ensure that CHEST can continue its efforts to establish whole-of-government and whole-of-nation cyber security best practices. CHEST designs these best practices based on predictive modeling of future attacks, and conducts cyber persistent engagement operations taught in workforce training programs in and outside of the military and related youth educational programming to build the pipeline of future cyber workers.

Many experts in both the public and private sector warn that the United States is losing ground in critical innovations. Without this amendment, many fear that the U.S. will fail to ensure cyber security hardware and strategic systems are established and coordinated in a manner that provides the training and education needed today and in the future.

The National Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust (or CHEST) is a 6-university industry collaborative research center, led by the University of Cincinnati, that coordinates university-based research with the needs of industry and government to advance knowledge of security, assurance, and trust for electronic hardware and embedded systems.

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