[Infowarrior] - Senators Introduce Comprehensive Cybersecurity Legislation

[Richard Forno]

Boy, I wish this was an April Fools' joke........looking @ the draft  
language, it's mostly same stuff different year.

For Immediate Release

04/01/09

Contact: 	Jena Longo - Democratic Deputy Communications Director  
202.224.7824

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=bb7223ef-1d78-4de4-b1d5-4cf54fc38662&Month=4&Year=2009


Chairman Rockefeller and Senator Snowe Introduce Comprehensive  
Cybersecurity Legislation


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of  
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and  
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) today announced the introduction of  
comprehensive cybersecurity legislation to address our nation’s  
vulnerability to cyber crime, global cyber espionage, and cyber  
attacks that could potentially cripple the United States’ critical  
infrastructure.

Currently, the U.S. has systems in place to protect our nation’s  
secrets and our government networks against cyber espionage, and it is  
imperative that those cyber defenses keep up with our enemies’ cyber  
capabilities.  However, another great vulnerability our country faces  
is the threat to our private sector critical infrastructure–banking,  
utilities, air/rail/auto traffic control, telecommunications–from  
disruptive cyber attacks that could literally shut down our way of life.

“We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs – from our  
water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic  
health records – the list goes on.  It’s an understatement to say that  
cybersecurity is one of the most important issues we face; the  
increasingly connected nature of our lives only amplifies our  
vulnerability to cyber attacks and we must act now.” said Senator  
Rockefeller.

Senator Rockefeller went on to say, ”As a member of the Senate  
Intelligence Committee, I know the threats we face.  Our enemies are  
real, they are sophisticated, they are determined and they will not  
rest.  I believe Congress must bring new high-level governmental  
attention to develop a fully integrated, thoroughly coordinated,  
public-private partnership to our cybersecurity efforts in the 21st  
century.”

“America’s vulnerability to massive cyber crime, global cyber  
espionage, and cyber attacks has emerged as one of the most urgent  
national security problems facing our country today” said Senator  
Snowe. “The Rockefeller-Snowe initiative will carve a course for our  
country to embrace a 21st century national security policy that will  
protect and preserve American cyberspace.  Uniquely designed to  
establish a fully integrated public-private partnership to coordinate  
cyber security efforts, this legislation will ensure we have many of  
the tools to target, isolate and effectively combat cyber-attacks in  
America.  Importantly, this legislation loosely parallels the  
recommendations in the CSIS blue-ribbon panel report to President  
Obama and has been embraced by a number of industry and government  
thought leaders.”

Snowe added, “Our failure to implement effective policies and  
procedures to protect critical infrastructure, prevent invasive  
intrusion and conduct an aggressive threat assessment has proven  
extremely consequential, putting the American information system at  
grave risk.  It is abundantly clear we must unite on all fronts to  
confront this monumental challenge, if we fail to take swift action,  
we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina.”

KEY PROVISIONS OF COMPREHENSIVE CYBERSECURITY LEGISLATION:

• Significantly raising the profile of cybersecurity within the  
Federal government and streamlining cyber-related government functions  
and authorities.

• Promoting public awareness and protecting civil liberties.

• Remaking the relationship between government and the private sector  
on cybersecurity.

• Fostering innovation and creativity in cybersecurity to develop long- 
term solutions.

An important component of this legislation is to establish the Office  
of the National Cybersecurity Advisor within the Executive Office of  
the President.  The National Cybersecurity Advisor will lead this  
office and report directly to the President.  The Advisor will serve  
as the lead official on all cyber matters, coordinating with the  
intelligence community, as well as the civilian agencies.

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