Cybersecurity: Senate takes initial step to bill’s passage

CISA aims to improve cybersecurity by encouraging the sharing of threat information among companies and the USA government.

The Senate appears closer to passing the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act after a procedural vote yesterday passed with flying colors, NBC News reported.

On Thursday (Oct. 15) the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents a group of major telecom and eCommerce companies, voiced that it was “unable to support” the current version of CISA.

“Our committee’s oversight hearings on the IRS and OPM data breaches revealed that basic cybersecurity hygiene and best practices would have stopped attackers in their tracks had they been in place at these agencies”, Johnson said.

A long-delayed bill that would make it easier for corporations to share information about cyber attacks with each other or the government without fear of lawsuits advanced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday with support from members of both parties and the White House. “Most of the privacy related amendments have been watered down beyond recognition”.

A series of tweaks and alterations, many of which have been combined into a manager’s amendment package expected to pass next week, attempt to mitigate those concerns.

Under provisions in the package, shared data would be funneled through the DHS to be “scrubbed” of personally-identifiable information.

Other amendments still under consideration include a six-year sunset clause offered by Sen.

The White House said in a statement that it supports the bill but wants the Department of Homeland Security to be charged with running the information-sharing system, and would “strongly oppose” any amendments to the bill to expand exceptions.

“In addition to updating information sharing statutes, the Congress should incorporate privacy, confidentiality protection, and civil liberties safeguards into all aspects of cybersecurity legislation”, the White House said.

Earlier this week, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Chairman Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Dianne Feinstein released a fact sheet on CISA, citing that the bill is designed to protect personal privacy by creating an environment where cybersecurity information can be shared to give all participants a greater understanding of growing cyber threats. He said Americans would call it “another surveillance bill”. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) – say the bill wouldn’t have done anything to prevent the devastating hack of the Office of Personnel Management, which is often touted as a reason to pass the bill.

CISA is set for a final vote on Tuesday.