WASHINGTON – August 26, 2020 – BSA | The Software Alliance today sent a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees urging both committees to include provisions to advance cybersecurity, drive agile and meaningful innovation, and harness emerging technologies in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (FY21 NDAA).

As the conference committee proceeds, BSA urges Congressional leadership to:

• Boost US leadership on AI by directing NIST to begin developing a risk management framework.
• Invest in innovative software solutions to 5G supply chain challenges by supporting development and deployment of virtualized Radio Access Network and open RAN initiatives.
• Improve the US Department of Defense’s ability to access the most innovative, secure software by requiring software vendors to describe their secure development lifecycle and vulnerability management practices when competing for DoD software acquisitions.
• Strengthen cybersecurity by adopting key recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
• Build a cybersecurity workforce for the 21st century with grant programs to support STEM education in JROTC and improvements to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education.

“The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have taken important steps to improve national security and enhance the ability of the Department of Defense to innovate through provisions in the FY21 NDAA,” said Tommy Ross, Senior Director, Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance. “BSA stands ready to work with conferees as they work to develop a final version of the bill, which we hope will address several of the concerns raised in our letter.”

Read the full letter here.