Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Gary Peters (D-MI), along with U.S. Representatives Daniel Webster (FL-11) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24), introduced the Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act today. The bill aims to ensure that applicants for competitive grant funding from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) certify they have a security plan addressing cyber risks when purchasing secure digital infrastructure or software components.

Senator Cornyn emphasized the need for such measures, stating, "As technology continues to advance and global tensions rise, we must take steps to address the growing threat posed by adversaries looking to access sensitive information or disrupt supply chains at our ports." He added that the legislation would help mitigate risks of cyber-espionage by foreign countries and secure digital infrastructure at ports.

Senator Peters supported this view, noting, "This commonsense, bipartisan bill would help strengthen our nation’s defenses against cyberattacks by making sure ports have the necessary digital infrastructure and safeguards in place to protect both U.S. national security and supply chains as goods move throughout our waterways."

Representative Webster expressed his concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities at ports: "The threats posed by the introduction of new software and digital infrastructure continue to be a huge concern of mine. We must ensure that ports continue to keep cybersecurity vulnerabilities in mind to insulate their operations against any potential attacks by those wishing to disrupt our supply chains."

Representative Carbajal highlighted the increasing frequency of cyber-attacks on ports: "As we’ve seen over the past few years, our ports are vital to maintaining an operational and fluid supply chain. Unfortunately, cyber-attacks at our ports are ever-increasing and putting our supply chain at risk. I’m happy to support this bill which would strengthen port cybersecurity and ensure federal funds are going to recipients that safeguard our supply chain and goods."

The background context includes concerns over Chinese-made cranes operating at American ports with embedded technology potentially used for espionage or disruption. The Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act mandates that PIDP applicants acquiring digital infrastructure or software components certify having an approved National Maritime Transportation Security Plan addressing cyber risks.

This legislation builds on Senator Cornyn’s Cranes of Concern at Our Ports (CCP) Act, part of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY24, which requires evaluating threats posed by cranes manufactured in countries of concern like China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC). The new act ensures PIDP grant funding is used for secure infrastructure purchases while adding another layer of security checks.