Cybercrime statistics legislation is ready for president's signature

For the second time this month, Congress has sent legislation to President Joe Biden that’s designed to keep better track of cybercrime data. The House on March 29 cleared a bill that would direct the Justice Department to collect and measure cybercrime statistics in several ways, such as a mandate for the Bureau of Justice Statistics and US Census Bureau to include questions about cybercrime on the National Crime Victimization Survey, which tallies crimes committed against people 12 and older. It arrives on Biden’s desk shortly after the president signed another bill that requires critical infrastructure owners and operators to report ransomware payments within 24 hours. In a floor speech this week urging passage of the DOJ metrics legislation, Rep Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) said cybercrime was the most common crime in the US. Spanberger, lead sponsor of the House version of the measure, said the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack that sparked a fuel panic in the US served as inspiration to introduce it. The House agreed to clear the legislation by a vote of 377-48.