WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES NEW CYBER SECURITY LAWS

The White House recently provided Congress with its proposal for a new cyber security law. The proposed cyber security law  is designed to make companies protect consumers’ personal identifying information (PII) from digital cyber attacks.  The cyber security proposal encourages Congress to enact the law before the end of the year.   Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.), suggests the government should shut down specific networks or web sites if a cyber security law is not enacted.

Details of the cyber security law new are unclear.  The White House said the text of the proposed law will not be released until later.  According to the administration’s summary, the plan relies more on mandating disclosures of vulnerabilities, including significant data breaches, than on top-down regulation of the sort that applies to, say, the securities industry.

White House officials say the proposal is a way to provide the correct incentives for businesses. to protect consumers’ PII.  One Homeland Security official said, if “industry does not come forward” with an “appropriate” standard, the draft legislation would give the government the power to “pick one, to create one, to modify one and choose that one. We believe that won’t be necessary.”

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