Congressional Staffers to Get Cybersecurity Crash Course

The National Cyber Security Alliance and Google will be giving congressional staff a primer on information security Wednesday, an official said.

The Google-funded Lock Down Your Login event is part of a larger cybersecurity public awareness campaign announced through former President Barack Obama’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, NCSA Government Relations Director Kristin Judge said.

Judge’s group has been promoting online security tips to the general public since last year, such as regularly installing software updates and using multi-factor authentication for online accounts.

» Get the best federal technology news and ideas delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here.

The congressional training represents the beginning of a second phase of the campaign for heavily-targeted users such as lawmakers and journalists, she said. The group will also hold training sessions for state and local lawmakers through organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, she said.

Congressional offices represent complex cyber hygiene challenges because multiple people may access certain public accounts, such as a lawmaker’s Twitter profile, many of whom are interns who turn over regularly, she said.

Wednesday’s event is being hosted by the House Administration Committee but will include staffers from across the House and Senate, she said.

Judge’s group consulted with Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn among other companies about specific security protocols.