Amid Heightened Cybersecurity Risks, McCormick Introduces Bill to Protect Critical Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Rich McCormick (GA-07) introduced the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act to strengthen America's cloud cybersecurity by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop updated standards to protect sensitive data, prevent cyberattacks, and secure critical infrastructure.

The legislation would strengthen protections against unauthorized access and malicious activity while establishing a voluntary certification program to help cloud service providers meet modern cybersecurity standards.

"In 2026, nearly everything we do relies on the cloud. From our financial information and medical records to our national security and critical infrastructure, our most sensitive information is stored and accessed through cloud-based systems," said Congressman McCormick. "Our adversaries, including China, are constantly looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities, launch cyberattacks, and steal sensitive American information. We cannot afford to leave Americans exposed to these threats. The Common-Sense Cloud Security Act strengthens our cyber defenses, protects sensitive information, and keeps America one step ahead of our adversaries."

The Common-Sense Cloud Security Act would require NIST to work with federal cybersecurity officials, cloud service providers, critical infrastructure operators, and academic experts to address vulnerabilities in cloud environments, including through the use of artificial intelligence to detect suspicious activity.

The Common-Sense Cloud Security Act would:

• Require NIST to report to Congress on federal implementation, private-sector adoption challenges, and recommendations to improve cloud cybersecurity.
• Update FedRAMP to align with new cloud security standards and strengthen cybersecurity disclosures for federal cloud providers.
• Establish a voluntary, tiered Cloud Security Certification Program using independent, accredited testing laboratories.
• Encourage artificial intelligence to detect unusual or suspicious activity in cloud environments.
• Develop a methodology to assess the scope of cloud security breaches and how far a compromise could spread.
• Strengthen cyberattack prevention, detection, and mitigation, including vetting, authorization, and continuous monitoring of third-party software integrations.
• Direct NIST to update cloud cybersecurity standards, including stronger digital identity protections linking account credentials to specific devices.

Read the full bill text of the Common-Sense Cloud Security Act HERE.