Nebraska State Senator Loren Lippincott has proposed a bill to the Legislature's government committee that would allocate $200,000 to hire an "ethical hacker" for the Nebraska State Patrol. The hacker's primary responsibility would be to identify vulnerabilities in the state's computer network, as well as election equipment and software. Lippincott was inspired by his nephew, who works in a similar field. While no other states have hired independent hackers, Missouri has employed a company that utilizes "white hat hackers" for this purpose.

The need for increased cybersecurity measures arises from the growing security challenges faced by state and local election officials across the country. These challenges include potential cyberattacks by foreign governments, criminal ransomware gangs, and the spread of election misinformation that has led to the harassment of election officials and undermined public confidence. The urgency of this issue was emphasized by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who recently warned about Chinese government hackers targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, such as water treatment plants, the electrical grid, and transportation systems.

The hearing for Lippincott's bill coincided with the launch of a program by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) aimed at enhancing election security in the states. This initiative comes in the wake of a cyberattack on government operations in Georgia, which has caused some election-related challenges leading up to the state's presidential primary in March.

Lippincott's proposal is centered around the idea that an ethical hacker can identify vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious actors. By hiring an individual with expertise in ethical hacking, the state can proactively address potential threats and strengthen its cybersecurity defenses. The bill also includes provisions to hire a security company that can provide additional hackers to identify weaknesses in the state's systems.

In addition to Lippincott's hacker-for-hire bill, another cybersecurity bill was presented to the committee, seeking $11 million in funding. This bill aims to enhance cybersecurity measures by providing the state's chief information officer, local governments, and school districts with resources to purchase security software and hardware, as well as conduct training and preparedness drills.

During the hearing, Lippincott's bills received support from a handful of individuals, with no opponents present. The committee will now determine whether to advance the proposals, which would then undergo three rounds of debate before potentially being passed in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature.