Washington Times: GOP senators present cybersecurity bill
By Shaun Waterman
Seven Republican senators presented an alternative cybersecurity bill Thursday, saying the proposed law backed by the Obama administration would be too intrusive, too expensive and too burdensome on businesses.
The Republican alternative would provide for voluntary information-sharing between the federal government and the private sector owners of U.S. computer and telecommunications networks that are the target of cyberattacks.
“There’s no new authorized funding, there are no new regulations, there is no growing of the federal government, no government mandates on the private sector” in the new bill, said Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information and Technology, or SECURE IT Act (SB 2105), “will break down the barriers to information-sharing that now exist,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, the senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee.
The bill would provide liability protection and amend anti-trust laws so that companies can share with each other and with the government information about cyber threats from hackers, spies or criminals, without fear of being sued or prosecuted, Ms. Hutchison said.
Congress and successive administrations have wrestled for years with the question of how best to defend the vital Internet backbones on which the nation’s military, commerce and industry all rely.
Last month, a group of senators led by Joseph I. Lieberman, Connecticut independent, and Susan M. Collins, Maine Republican, presented a bill, generally endorsed by the administration, that would give the Department of Homeland Security authority to set standards for security on critical computer networks, where existing regulators are not up to the task.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, has pledged to bring the Collins-Lieberman bill to the floor as soon as possible.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday that he and his six GOP co-sponsors — Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Hutchison, Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana and Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin — would seek to offer their bill as a substitute when the debate begins.
