S. 315 would codify the role and responsibilities of existing hunt and incident response teams (HIRTs) under the authority of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the bill, HIRTs would continue to provide assistance to federal and nonfederal entities affected by malicious cyber activity.
S. 315 also would require the NCCIC to report to the Congress on HIRT operations at the end of each of the first four fiscal years following the bill’s enactment. On the basis of information from DHS and considering information about similar reporting requirements, CBO estimates that enacting S. 315 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2024 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
