5.ShakingHands

Federal legislators have begun the process of better securing the open-source software used by government agencies with a new bill titled “Securing Open Source Software Act of 2022.”

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced the legislation that seeks to address open source software risks in government. The proposed Bill, S. 4913, now awaits action by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

The legislation comes after a hearing Peters and Portman convened on Feb. 2 to investigate the Log4j incident that was discovered in December 2021. It directs the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to help ensure that open-source software is used safely and securely by the federal government, critical infrastructure, and others.