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Proposed Cyber Bill Puts DHS in Charge of Assessing Infrastructure

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Photo: DHS.gov

A bipartisan group of senators proposed a cybersecurity bill Tuesday that would put the Department of Homeland Security in charge of assessing risks and vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 also asks the government to improve the security of cyber networks through the Federal Information Security Management Act.

Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) proposed the legislation.

The bill would also consolidate DHS cybersecurity programs into a unified office called the the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications.

The bill sets up a public/private partnership to encourage information sharing regarding incidents, threats and best practices.

The partnership would also include the DHS working with infrastructure owners performance requirements for infrastructure system practices.

The bill would require assessments of practices already in place and if they seem sufficiently secure, no new requirements will be put forth.

DHS will decide who must meet the set of risk-based security standards it will develop.

System operators will be able to appeal if they believe their system was wrongly designated.

The bill also calls for a third-party assessor to verify systems’ compliance.

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