Chairman Mike Nofs
(R-Battle Creek)
The Michigan Senate Committee on Energy and Technology, chaired by Senator Mike Nofs (R- Battle Creek), recently heard testimony on the Michigan Cyber Security Corps bill which passed the House earlier in the session. HB 4508 would create a state program under which volunteers may provide services to respond to cybersecurity incidents.
Rep. Brandt Iden (R- Oshtemo), the primary sponsor of HB 4508, provided a brief overview, followed by more detailed testimony from Major General Michael Stone of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Rajiv Das, Chief Security Officer, MI Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB); and Lt. Jim Ellis, Michigan State Police, all of whom support the bill. Rep. Iden explained that Governor Rick Snyder formed the Cyber Civilian Corps in 2013. The bill would place this group of volunteers under the auspices of the DTMB and allow its membership to expand. In the event of a cybersecurity incident, volunteers could go out into the private sector and provide assistance for up to ten days. The volunteers would not supplant any private Information Technology personnel also employed by the affected business. Instead they provide an “extra layer” of protection and better coordination, with information housed at the DTMB.

Rep. Brandt Iden
(R-Oshtemo)
Major General Stone has been working on the cyber corps project since the idea was first conceived by Governor Snyder in 2011. He testified that Michigan considered models in place in Maryland and Washington State prior to launching its own corps in 2013. Today there are 63 members, and with the passage of the bill, the Governor would like to see it expand to 200. One hundred fifty members, a figure envisioned by Rep. Iden, is probably more realistic, General Stone said. While Maryland uses retired military, Michigan did not want the group to be “uniformed,” but rather civilian, with police and military “cheering them on.” The DTMB has established standards and tests. Once recruited, prospective corps members undergo background checks, performed by the State Police. After acceptance, the volunteers are formed into teams and trained. The membership is broken down by industry. Recruiting is state-wide, including the Upper Peninsula, in order to create a “regional response capability.” Major General Stone, praising Governor Snyder as a nationally recognized leader in cybersecurity, expressed the hope that codification of the group as contemplated by the bill will “continue the work” after the Governor leaves office.
No one testified in opposition to the bill. Dave Worthams of the Michigan Bankers Association and Dan Papineau of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce submitted cards in support of the bill, but did not wish to speak.
At its Committee hearing on September 14, 2017 the Committee passed the bill with a minor technical amendment (S-1) unanimously with a recommendation for immediate effect.