U.S. Climate Change Policy

"The greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap radiant energy, warming earth’s surface and oceans. Scientific assessments conclude that GHGs very likely have been the main driver of warming of the earth’s lower atmosphere since 1979. The most recent global assessment projected that surface temperature would continue to rise until at least mid-century even under the lowest GHG emission scenarios considered. A range of actions to mitigate GHG emissions and the risks of climate change (i.e., for adaptation or resilience) are under way or being developed on the international, national, and subnational levels. U.S. federal policymakers and stakeholders have different viewpoints regarding what, if anything, to do about future climate change and related impacts.

Brief History of U.S. Climate Policy

Historically, the United States has demonstrated varying approaches and intent with regard to addressing climate change generally and to participating in GHG abatement under the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). International negotiations led to, among other agreements, the adoption of the Paris Agreement (PA) in 2015. President Obama accepted the PA without submitting it to the Senate for advice and consent, and the United States became a Party to the agreement when the PA entered into force in 2016. President Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the PA in June 2017, which became effective in November 2020. President Biden again accepted the PA, and the United States became a Party on February 19, 2021.

U.S. climate change policy has involved actions implemented under various legal authorities. Prior to 2007, the federal government implemented voluntary programs to address climate change and regulatory programs that indirectly limited GHG emission increases from vehicles, appliances and equipment, and buildings. A shift toward direct regulation of GHG emissions occurred following the 2007 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, in which the Supreme Court found that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authority to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. EPA subsequently issued rules to limit GHGs from various sources, although not all have been implemented. State and local governments have also taken a variety of actions, including emission controls on power plants and vehicles and building codes.

U.S. Legislation

Members of Congress have historically expressed a range of perspectives regarding climate change issues. Legislative proposals have included carbon pricing frameworks (e.g., carbon taxes or cap-and-trade programs), sectoral approaches such as a clean energy standard, research funding or tax policies that support GHG-abating technology development and deployment, efforts to increase adaptation, and international cooperation. On the other hand, introduced resolutions have expressed that the multisector carbon pricing approaches are not in the economic interests of the United States. Votes on comprehensive climate change policy have been relatively rare in either chamber of Congress. Examples of enacted legislation involving climate change issues include tax incentives to promote renewable energy sources and carbon capture and sequestration efforts.

Executive Branch Approach to Climate Change

President Biden announced a new GHG target for the United States: to reduce net GHG emissions by 50%-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. The Administration has also centralized executive branch organizations to identify and coordinate climate related actions, and issued directives with a view toward decisions that support meeting the Administration’s GHG reduction targets.

Issues for Congress

Congress may consider issues concerning U.S. GHG targets, policy approaches, and funding. For example, U.S. participation in the PA raises issues that Congress may consider concerning the ambition, relative level of effort, and performance of other parties’ GHG mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing associated with the PA. Differences in parties’ GHG policies may have implications for trade. For example, several national governments and the EU have discussed imposing border carbon adjustments(i.e., tariffs) on imported goods from countries that do not make similarly ambitious efforts to reduce GHG emissions..."
Climate change policy 

CDC Issues Orders Operationalizing the President’s Safer, More Stringent International Travel System

"Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing Orders to implement the new travel policy announced by the Biden administration to safely resume global travel to the United States while protecting the health and safety of American communities from COVID-19. These Orders put in place a stringent and consistent global international travel policy that is guided by public health.

Today’s announcement means that on November 8, non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination status to fly to the United States. There will be very limited exceptions to this vaccination requirement for certain non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants, including children under the age of 18.

Fully vaccinated air passengers, regardless of citizenship, will continue to be required to show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before they board their flight to the United States. For passengers who are not fully vaccinated, the rules will tighten to require a test taken no more than one day before departing to the United States.

All air passengers to the United States will also be required to provide basic contact information to airlines before boarding flights to the United States. This will allow airlines to better coordinate with public health agencies to share information when needed to keep the public safe and informed, and strengthen their ability to rapidly identify and contact people in the U.S. who may have been exposed to a communicable disease, such as COVID-19..."
International travelers vaccination 

FTC Report Finds Annual Cigarette Sales Increased for the First Time in 20 Years

"The number of cigarettes that the largest cigarette companies in the United States sold to wholesalers and retailers nationwide increased from 202.9 billion in 2019 to 203.7 billion in 2020, according to the most recent Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report. This represents the first time annual cigarette sales have increased in 20 years.

According to the 2020 Smokeless Tobacco Report, smokeless tobacco sales increased from 126.0 million pounds in 2019 to 126.9 million pounds in 2020. The revenue from those sales rose from $4.53 billion in 2019 to $4.82 billion in 2020. For the first time, the Commission is reporting sales of nicotine lozenges or nicotine pouches not containing tobacco. In 2020, the companies sold 140.7 million units of such products in the United States, for $420.5 million.

The amount spent on cigarette advertising and promotion increased from $7.62 billion in 2019 to $7.84 billion in 2020. Price discounts paid to cigarette retailers ($6.07 billion) and wholesalers ($876 million) were the two largest expenditure categories in 2020. Combined spending on price discounts accounted for 88.5 percent of industry spending.

Spending on advertising and promotion by the major manufacturers of smokeless tobacco products in the U.S. decreased from $576.1 million in 2019 to $567.3 million in 2020. As with cigarettes, price discounts made up the two largest spending categories, with $296.6 million paid to retailers and $83.5 million paid to wholesalers. Combined spending on price discounts totaled $380.1 million – or 67.4 percent of all spending in 2020, up from the $376.0 million spent in 2019.

For the first time, the 2020 data include information on the flavors of the companies’ smokeless tobacco products. Menthol flavored smokeless tobacco products comprised more than half of all sales revenues (54.5 percent); tobacco flavored products (that is, no added flavor) comprised 43.4 percent; and fruit flavored smokeless tobacco products comprised 2.5 percent.."
Cigarette sales

Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to US National Security Through 2040

"We assess that climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to US national security interests as the physical impacts increase and geopolitical tensions mount about how to respond to the challenge. Global momentum is growing for more ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reductions, but current policies and pledges are insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Countries are arguing about who should act sooner and competing to control the growing clean energy transition. Intensifying physical effects will exacerbate geopolitical flashpoints, particularly after 2030, and key countries and regions will face increasing risks of instability and need for humanitarian assistance.

• As a baseline, the IC uses the US Federal Scientific community’s high confidence in global projections of temperature increase and moderate confidence in regional projections of the intensity of extreme weather and other effects during the next two decades. Global temperatures have increased 1.1˚C since pre-industrial times and most likely will add 0.4˚C to reach 1.5˚C around 2030.

• The IC has moderate confidence in the pace of decarbonization and low to moderate confidence in how physical climate impacts will affect US national security interests and the nature of geopolitical conflict, given the complex dimensions of human and state decisionmaking.

Key Judgment 1:

Geopolitical tensions are likely to grow as countries increasingly argue about how to accelerate the reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions that will be needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Debate will center on who bears more responsibility to act and to pay—and how quickly—and countries will compete to control resources and dominate new technologies needed for the clean energy transition. Most countries will face difficult economic choices and probably will count on technological breakthroughs to rapidly reduce their net emissions later. China and India will play critical roles in determining the trajectory of temperature rise.

Key Judgment 2:

The increasing physical effects of climate change are likely to exacerbate cross-border geopolitical flashpoints as states take steps to secure their interests. The reduction in sea ice already is amplifying strategic competition in the Arctic over access to its natural resources. Elsewhere, as temperatures rise and more extreme effects manifest, there is a growing risk of conflict over water and migration, particularly after 2030, and an increasing chance that countries will unilaterally test and deploy large-scale solar geoengineering—creating a new area of disputes.

Key Judgment 3:

Scientific forecasts indicate that intensifying physical effects of climate change out to 2040 and beyond will be most acutely felt in developing countries, which we assess are also the least able to adapt to such changes. These physical effects will increase the potential for instability and possibly internal conflict in these countries, in some cases creating additional demands on US diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, and military resources. Despite geographic and financial resource advantages, the United States and partners face costly challenges that will become more difficult to manage without concerted effort to reduce emissions and cap warming.."
Climate change and national security 

America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2020

"Adult (A table series)

These tables look at the demographic characteristics of the adult population 15 years and older. They describe the current marital status of people in the United States for selected age and earnings groups, as well as living arrangements and characteristics of parents with coresident children under 18.

Table A1. Marital Status of People 15 Years and Over, by Age, Sex, and Personal Earnings: 2020

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Table A3. Parents With Coresident Children Under 18, by Living Arrangement, Sex, and Selected Characteristics: 2020

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Average number of people (AVG table series)

These tables look at the average size of different kinds of families and households across a variety of demographic characteristics including marital status, age, education, and race and Hispanic origin.

Table AVG1. Average Number of People per Household, by Race and Hispanic Origin, Marital Status, Age, and Education of Householder: 2020

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Table AVG2. Average Number of People per Family Household, by Race and Hispanic Origin, Marital Status, Age, and Education of Householder: 2020

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Table AVG3. Average Number of People per Family Household With Own Children Under 18, by Race and Hispanic Origin, Marital Status, Age, and Education of Householder: 2020.."
Living Arrangements 

How to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation

"On this page, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares strategies for communicating accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines, responding to gaps in information, and confronting misinformation with evidence-based messaging from credible sources.

Defining Misinformation and Disinformation

• Misinformation is false information shared by people who do not intend to mislead others.
• Disinformation is false information deliberately created and disseminated with malicious intent.

Both types can affect vaccine confidence and vaccination rates. Most misinformation and disinformation that has circulated about COVID-19 vaccines has focused on vaccine development, safety, and effectiveness, as well as COVID-19 denialism.

Addressing Misinformation About COVID-19 Vaccines

The first step to addressing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines in your community is learning more about it, including where it starts and when, why, and how it is spreading and evolving.

Strategies for addressing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation in your community:

Social Listening and Monitoring Tools

Download the CDC Rapid Community Assessment Guidepdf icon for steps and adaptable tools to quickly gather information and better understand your community of focus.

• Listen to and analyze misinformation circulating in your community through social and traditional media monitoring. This can include monitoring social media channels and traditional media outlets for misinformation and creating a log of that misinformation to identify trends in your area. This can help you understand where, when, why, and how misinformation is spreading in your community.
• Engage with and listen to your community to identify and analyze perceptions, content gaps, information voids, and misinformation.
• Share accurate, clear, and easy-to-find information that addresses common questions. This can be done through your website, social media, and other places your audience looks for health information. Also use methods to reach those with limited or no internet access, such as radio or community events. Share details, including addresses and hours, about local vaccination sites and events with community-based organizations and local media. See How to Tailor COVID-19 Information to Your Specific Audience.
• Use trusted messengers to boost credibility and the likelihood of being seen and believed over misinformation. Some people may not trust public health professionals or visit the health department website, so it’s more effective to reach them through the channels and sources they look to and trust for health information, such as religious leaders or community organizations..."
  Vaccine misinformation 

Age Without Injury—Still Going Strong Campaign

"Injuries from falls and car crashes are more common as we age. You can take simple steps to prevent these injuries from happening, so you can stay healthy and independent longer.

Older adults – those age 65 and older—are at an increased risk of health problems and injuries from falls and car crashes. CDC developed the Still Going Strong campaign to help older adults and their caregivers learn about risk factors for falls and crashes—and ways to prevent them.

Injuries Are Common as We Age

Over 10,000 people in the United States turn 65 every day. Each year, older adults experience 36 million falls and 1.6 million car crashes. An injury from a fall or car crash can decrease their independence. But, getting older doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite hobbies and activities.

It’s important for older adults and their caregivers to understand common injuries that can happen as we age and what we can do to prevent these injuries.

Older Adults Can Take Simple Steps to Prevent Injuries

• Tell your doctor if you have fallen, if you feel unsteady when standing or walking, or if you’re afraid you might fall. Talk to your doctor about fall prevention and safe driving strategies.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review the medicines you take—both prescription and over the counter. Some medicines might make you dizzy or sleepy or may reduce your reaction time.
• Have an eye doctor check your eyes at least once a year and update your eyeglasses as needed.
• Have your doctor check your feet at least once a year and discuss proper footwear to reduce your risk of falling.
• Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance, like Tai Chi.
• Make your home safer by removing throw rugs, using extra lighting or brighter light bulbs, installing grab bars in bathrooms and handrails on both sides of staircases.
• Only drive during daylight and in good weather, and always wear a seat belt—as a driver or passenger.
• Never drink and drive—alcohol reduces coordination, impairs judgement, and increases the risk of being in a crash.
• Plan your drive to find the safest route and leave a large following distance between your car and the car in front of you.
• Avoid distractions in your car, such as listening to a loud radio and talking or texting on your phone.
• Consider riding with a friend or family member, taking a ride share service, or using public transportation.
• If you have fallen or are in a car crash, have your doctor check you for signs and symptoms of a brain injury..."
  Age and injury 

Protecting Older Consumers 2020–2021

"As the nation’s primary consumer protection agency, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) has a broad mandate to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the marketplace.1 It does this by, among other things, filing law enforcement actions to stop unlawful practices and, when possible, returning money to consumers. The FTC also protects the public through education and outreach on consumer protection issues. Through research and collaboration with federal, state, international, and private sector partners, the FTC strategically targets its efforts to achieve the maximum benefits for consumers, including older adults.2

Protecting older consumers in the marketplace is one of the FTC’s top priorities.3 This past year, the global pandemic has hit the health and finances of older communities particularly hard. As can be seen from numerous FTC cases, older adults continue to be targeted by a wide range of scams and the unfair and deceptive marketing of products and services. This past year, the FTC’s law enforcement efforts included a focus on schemes capitalizing on the fears and economic uncertainty associated with the pandemic to deceptively peddle products related to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. In addition to its law enforcement efforts, the FTC has redoubled its efforts to reach communities of older adults throughout the country with its varied outreach campaigns. The FTC also has conducted research regarding fraud reports filed by consumers nationwide, which reveals patterns and trends related to fraud impacting older adults. These analyses help inform the agency’s efforts to respond to the needs of older consumers.

The FTC submits this fourth annual report to the Committees on the Judiciary of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives to fulfill the reporting requirements of Section 101(c)(2) of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017.4 The law requires the Chairman to file a report listing the FTC’s enforcement actions “over the preceding fiscal year in each case in which not less than one victim was an elder or that involved a financial scheme or scam that was either targeted directly toward or largely affected elders.” Given the large number and broad range of consumers affected in FTC actions, this list, found in Appendix A, includes every administrative and federal district court action filed in the one-year period. In addition, the FTC files this report to provide detail on the agency’s efforts to protect older consumers, including its law enforcement actions in cases that impact older adults, its targeted consumer education and outreach, and its research and strategic initiatives.."
Older Consumers 

About NOAA Climate.gov

"Mission

Americans’ health, security, and economic well-being are closely linked to climate and weather. People are looking for information to help them understand climate and make decisions on how to manage climate-related risks and opportunities. To meet this need, NOAA Climate.gov provides timely and authoritative scientific data and information about climate science, adaptation, and mitigation.

Our goals are to promote public understanding of climate science and climate-related events, to make NOAA data products and services easy to access and use, to provide climate-related support to the private sector and the Nation’s economy, and to serve people making climate-related decisions with tools and resources that help them answer specific questions. In short, NOAA Climate.gov's mission is to provide science and information for a climate-smart nation.

Each of the tabs in NOAA Climate.gov has content designed to meet the needs of different audiences: 

1. News & Features is a popular-style magazine for the science-interested public. Visit section
2. Maps & Data is a gateway to popular climate maps, tools, and datasets for users who are new to climate data. Visit section
3. Teaching Climate offers learning activities, curriculum materials, multi-media resources, and professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators. Visit section
4. The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, Climate.gov's sister site, serves policy makers, professionals, and others facing climate-related decisions. Visit site.."
   Climate
   

Histoplasmosis: A Common Fungal Lung Infection

"Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma, a fungus that lives in the soil, particularly where there’s a large amount of bird or bat poop. The infection ranges from mild to life-threatening. It can be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, like pneumonia caused by bacteria. Here are some important things to know about histoplasmosis.

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that can affect anyone. It usually impacts the lungs and causes pneumonia but also can affect other parts of the body. Learning about histoplasmosis can help you stay healthy and recognize symptoms early if you do get the infection.

Common Symptoms Can Lead to Delayed Diagnosis

Symptoms of histoplasmosis include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• Chills
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Body aches

These symptoms usually appear between 3 and 17 days after breathing in the fungus. Because other diseases have similar symptoms, patients can experience delays in getting correctly diagnosed and treated.

Anyone can get infected, but most people who breathe in the fungus that causes histoplasmosis have no symptoms or only mild ones. Some people never know they’ve had histoplasmosis until a CT scan, X-ray, or other imaging test shows spots on their lungs. These spots can look identical to lung cancer, leading to unnecessary costs and emotional stress associated with finding the right diagnosis.

However, it is important to know that some people can develop severe histoplasmosis and get very sick. This includes:

• People who have existing health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (or people with weakened immune systems), and
• People who are exposed to a large amount of the fungus.

A severe infection must be treated with prescription antifungal medicine.

If you have symptoms and suspect that you might have histoplasmosis, ask your doctor to test you for it..."
Histoplasmosis 

Subverting Justice: How the Former President and His Allies Pressured DOJ to Overturn the 2020 Election

"A . The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Investigation

On January 22, 2021, the New York Times reported that Jeffrey Bossert Clark, the former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division, sought to involve DOJ in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and plotted with then President Trump to oust Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who reportedly refused Trump’s demands.1 On January 23, 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had urged DOJ to file a lawsuit in the Supreme Court seeking to invalidate President Biden’s victory.2 These reports followed Trump’s months-long effort to undermine the results of the election, which culminated in the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary immediately launched an investigation into Trump’s reported efforts to enlist DOJ in his election subversion scheme. On January 23, 2021, the Committee asked DOJ to produce documents related to these efforts. DOJ cooperated with the Committee’s request, producing several hundred pages of calendars, emails, and other documents in the ensuing months.

On May 20, 2021, following DOJ’s production of emails from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to Rosen asking DOJ to investigate several debunked election fraud claims, the Committee asked the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for additional Trump White House records related to Trump’s attempts to secure DOJ’s help in overturning the election results. The Committee’s request sought White House records between November 3, 2020 and the end of Trump’s presidency related to meetings and communications between and among White House and DOJ officials. NARA has not responded to date, and has represented to the Committee that the delay in transitioning electronic Trump records from the White House to NARA may prevent the Committee from obtaining a response for several more months.

In addition to obtaining and reviewing documents, the Committee interviewed key former DOJ personnel, including Rosen, former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung Jin (“BJay”) Pak. DOJ and the White House authorized these witnesses to testify about their internal communications without restriction, citing the Committee’s “compelling legislative interests … in understanding these extraordinary events: namely, the question whether former President Trump sought to cause the Department to use its law enforcement and litigation authorities to advance his personal political interests with respect to the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The Committee also requested to interview Clark, whom DOJ authorized to testify on the same terms as the other former DOJ officials. DOJ authorized Clark’s appearance on July 26, 2021. More than two months after DOJ authorized him to testify without restriction, Clark still has not agreed to the Committee’s request that he sit for a voluntary interview..."
Overturn 2020 Election Pressure 

Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2021 Annual Report

"According to the recent report of the Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds, the program’s finances are in a similar, albeit marginally worse, position in 2021 to what they were in 2020. Under intermediate assumptions, the projected combined Trust Fund asset depletion date is 2034 (versus 2035 in last year’s report), after which the percentage of benefits payable would be 78% (versus 79% in 2020).

Social Security Overview

Social Security is a self-financing program that in 2021 covers approximately 176 million workers and provides monthly cash benefits to over 65 million beneficiaries. It is the federal government’s largest program in terms of both the number of people affected (i.e., covered workers and beneficiaries) and its finances. Social Security is composed of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI), referred to collectively as OASDI.

The OASDI program is primarily financed (89.6% of total revenues in 2020) through a payroll tax applied to Social Security–covered earnings up to an annual limit. In addition, some beneficiaries pay income tax on a portion of their Social Security benefits, accounting for 3.6% of total revenue in 2020. From 1983 to 2009, the OASDI program collected more in tax revenues than needed to pay benefits. Excess revenues are held in interest-bearing U.S. Treasury securities, providing a third source of funding for the program. In 2020, interest revenues accounted for 6.8% of total revenues. Monthly benefits are the largest OASDI program cost, accounting for 99.0% of total costs in 2020. Administrative and other costs accounted for the remainder.

The Trust Funds

Both the OASI and DI programs use a trust fund financing mechanism. Monies credited to these trust funds are earmarked for paying Social Security benefits and certain administrative costs. Using a trust fund allows OASI and DI programs to track their respective programs’ revenues and costs and to hold any accumulated assets from years when revenues exceed costs. The OASI Trust Fund and DI Trust Fund are legally distinct entities; they are discussed here collectively as the OASDI Trust Funds, or the trust funds.

A Board of Trustees manages the trust funds. The trustees are required to report to Congress annually on the trust funds’ status and financial operations. In general, the trust funds’ solvency—the ability to pay full benefits scheduled under current law on a timely basis—indicates their status. If assets held in the trust funds were to be depleted, the OASDI program could pay out in benefits only what it receives in revenues. Table 1 shows the trust funds’ key dates under the trustees’ intermediate assumptions, which reflect their best estimate of future economic, demographic, and program-specific factors.."
Social Security 

Ransomware and Federal Law: Cybercrime and Cybersecurity

"Ransomware attacks—the use of malicious software to deny users access to data and information systems to extort ransom payments from victims—are prevalent. A recent notable example is the May 2021 ransomware attack that temporarily shut down the Colonial Pipeline Company’s network, affecting gasoline availability and prices. This attack is but one of many; in 2020 alone, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received nearly 2,500 ransomware complaints with losses exceeding $29 million.

Federal law provides several potential approaches to combat ransomware attacks. First, federal criminal laws, such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), can be used to prosecute those who perpetrate ransomware attacks. These laws and others, such as the statutes criminalizing conspiracy and aiding and abetting, might also be used to prosecute individuals who help to develop ransomware that is ultimately used by others. Victims who pay ransoms might also be subject to criminal or civil penalties in some cases—for example, where a ransom payment is made knowingly to an entity either designated as a foreign terrorist organization or subject to sanctions by the Department of the Treasury. Nevertheless, policy considerations, mitigating factors, and prosecutorial discretion may weigh against enforcement in such instances.

Second, federal cybersecurity laws play an important role in both preventing and responding to ransomware attacks. Cyber preparedness laws require federal agencies to secure their networks and authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish federal network security requirements. Other cyber preparedness laws authorize federal agencies to assist private entities operating in critical infrastructure sectors in securing their systems. Moreover, many data protection laws include requirements for covered entities to safeguard customer or consumer data. If a ransomware attack or other cyber incident occurs, federal law requires CISA and other federal agencies to work together to mitigate harm to federal networks and authorizes them to assist private entities in incident response and damage mitigation.."
Ransomware