Senate Votes to Move on Cyber Legislation in Last-Ditch Effort
Just one week after President Obama published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal advising Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation to avoid “growing danger,” the Senate on Thursday voted to move forward with a bill attempting to address the issues at hand.
In an 84-11 vote, senators motioned to advance a revised version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, a bill that has seen its share of heated debates on the Hill and within the industry this year.
Co-sponsored by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Cali.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), the amended legislation aims to offer incentives to the private sector for voluntarily meeting cybersecurity standards set by the government. Previous versions of the bill would have mandated such standards.
But according to reports, the US Chamber of Commerce and other organizations cannot get behind any version of the bill. Expressing its concerns over the legislation, the chamber advised the Senate to take time to consider other options.
“The chamber believes that, at a minimum, more time is needed for the Senate to more fully assess this deeply flawed proposal,” the organization said in a letter, according to the National Journal. “While the program is being characterized as ‘voluntary,’ and participating entities may receive limited protection from punitive damages resulting from a cyber incident, the standards could be used to impose new obligations on participating companies.”
Despite the opposition, the legislation gained continued support this week from the White House and several key players within the industry.
“The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of S. 3414, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012,” the White House wrote in a statement. “While lacking some of the key provisions of earlier bills, the revised legislation will provide important tools to strengthen the Nation’s response to cybersecurity risks.”
Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, CA Technologies, EMC/RSA, the Information Technology Industry Council and the National Defense Industrial Association have also expressed support for the legislation.
The Senate is expected to debate and vote on the bill’s proposed amendments next week.
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Following are some additional cyber headlines you may have missed:
FEDERAL NEWS:
Cybercom chief reports rise in cyber attacks targeting US infrastructure (New York Times)
US spy agency chief to meet with hackers at “Defcon” (Reuters)
Lieberman revamps cybersecurity bill to boost Senate chances (Bloomberg)
Rep. Eshoo: Internet’s openness threatened by politics (San Francisco Chronicle)
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW:
Chertoff: The lesson of Google’s Safari hack (Wall Street Journal)
Northrop to help nuclear plants build cyber defense (ExecutiveBiz)
Hacking experts find new ways to attack Android phones (Reuters)
Defcon 20: Skillz, thrills for the whole hacker family (CNET)
Apple warms up to hackers (Bloomberg)
CYBER INSIGHTS:
Cybersecurity compromise: Responsible move or political cover? (National Journal)
Hacking attacks on printers still not being taken seriously (The Guardian)
The best hacking film you haven’t seen… yet (Forbes)
How to speak ‘Hacker’ (Huffington Post)
INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK:
EU mulls new rules for cybersecurity (PCWorld)
Emerging nations urged to step up cybersecurity (Wall Street Journal)
London Olympics officials prepare for cyber attacks (Los Angeles Times)
UK to rule in October on Pentagon hacker US extradition (Reuters)
Japanese Finance Ministry uncovers major Trojan attack (ComputerWorld)
Hacker claims to have had access to UAE’s internet filter systems (The National)
Israel’s businesses losing the cyber war (Wall Street Journal)
Bahraini firms facing cyber attack threats (Trade Arabia)
Hackers target Somali giant Dahabshiil (AllAfrica.com)
China cracks hacking syndicate (ZDNet)
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