Two Republican congresswoman yesterday introduced cyber security legislation that is based on a similar bill introduced in the Senate by eight Republicans earlier this month that promotes more sharing of cyber threat data between the federal government and private sector without adding regulation.
The Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information and Technology Act of 2012 (SECURE IT), the same name as the companion Republican bill in the Senate, was introduced in the House by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
“The Bono Mack-Blackburn legislation is a good step forward in the right direction because it puts the private sector in the driver’s seat, instead of relying on overly prescriptive government mandates that hamper growth and weaken response capabilities,” Blackburn said in a statement.
The SECURE IT bill was introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and seven of his Republican colleagues as an alternative to the Cyber Security Act of 2012 that was introduced in the Senate in February by two Democrats, a Republican and an Independent (Defense Daily, Feb. 15, March 2).
The Cyber Security Act is considered to be light on government regulations but would allow the Department of Homeland Security to set minimum standards for owners and operators of critical infrastructure to meet for securing their computer networks, although the private sector would be allowed to enforce compliance themselves.
The introduction of the SECURE IT Act in the House drew a response from Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who said the bill is a “major step backward.” Langevin said that relying on the private sector to voluntarily protect their facilities from cyber threats is a tried and failed approach.
Langevin, who has worked with Republicans on cyber legislation, said “We need swift action to compel these companies to invest in our national security before it’s too late.”