Bipartisan lawmakers introduce bill to expand cyber partnership with nations in Abraham Accords

Senate lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan bill aimed to strengthen cybersecurity collaboration between the U.S. and countries in the Abraham Accords — a 2020 agreement to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

The legislation, called the Abraham Accords Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, would authorize cybersecurity cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Abraham Accords countries, including engaging in information-sharing, providing technical assistance to those countries, and conducting cyber training and exercises. 

“The Abraham Accords are fostering an unprecedented level of security cooperation between the U.S., Israel, and our Arab partners,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), one of five lawmakers co-sponsoring the bill.

“At a time when Iran and other hostile cyber actors are targeting the United States and Abraham Accords countries with malicious cyberattacks, this bipartisan legislation will help strengthen our collective cybersecurity defenses against shared threats,” she added.

The bill would build upon the existing cybersecurity partnership between DHS and Abraham Accords nations. 

Earlier this year, the agency confirmed it was broadening the Abraham Accords to include cybersecurity. 

“The expansion of the Abraham Accords into cybersecurity is advancing our defensive operational collaboration with Israel and our partners across the Middle East to protect our critical infrastructure,” said Robert Silvers, DHS undersecretary for policy, in a statement. 

Other federal agencies have also been pushing for greater cyber partnerships with U.S. allies. 

Last year, the Department of Treasury and the Israeli Ministry of Finance announced a bilateral agreement that would formalize and enhance the cybersecurity partnership between the two countries.  

In the agreement, both nations pledged to share information related to cyber threats targeting the financial sector, train staff in the cybersecurity field and conduct cross-border cybersecurity exercises.

U.S. lawmakers have also been eyeing the Indo-Pacific region with a recent bill that would boost cybersecurity collaboration between the U.S. and Taiwan to counter cyberattacks from China.

The legislation, introduced in April, would require the Department of Defense to broaden and strengthen cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan by conducting cyber training exercises, defending the country’s military networks, infrastructure and systems, and leveraging U.S. cybersecurity technologies to help defend Taiwan.