The new Congress could put cybersecurity legislation at the top of its agenda as it convenes amid ongoing concerns regarding cyber attacks and data breaches, GovInfoSecurity reported Tuesday.Eric Chabrow writes that some analysts see potential legislation that would focus on the sharing of threat information between government and industry.
“One of the things in the new year that I hope Congress is prepared to work with us on is strong cybersecurity laws that allow for information-sharing… so that we are incorporating best practices and preventing these attacks from happening in the first place,” said Paul Rosenzweig, a senior adviser to The Chertoff Group and a former policymaker at the Department of Homeland Security.
The report said the White House and Congress have disagreed on previous efforts to pass cyber information-sharing legislation due to language, liability protections and considerations on privacy and civil liberties, including the sharing of personal information with intelligence agencies.
Gene Spafford, executive director of Purdue University’s Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, noted that lawmakers and the administration can reach a compromise if they agree on the definition and parameters of privacy.
They should also consider national security and information-sharing requirements as factors alongside privacy, he said.
Chabrow reports that the 114th Congress could also take up a national law to guide businesses in notifying law enforcement and involved persons with regards to data breaches.
