Cybersecurity Bill's Opposition Hasn't Gone Anywhere

The Senate’s cybersecurity bill, abandoned just before the August recess, could be back on the floor soon. But passing it isn’t getting any easier as pushback from privacy advocates appears to be growing. A Senate Republican notice on Sept 30 listed the cybersecurity bill as one of only a few items on the upcoming floor agenda. The exact date for debate is still unknown, but the verbiage about the bill has already kicked off. The bill, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA, S. 754), would incentivize private companies to share data with government agencies to combat cyberattacks. Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR), an opponent of the bill who played a major role in the Senate punting it in late July, told reporters that he wouldn’t be surprised if the delay continued. “Based on what I’ve been told last, it’s very up in the air. And I think it’s because our [Democratic] side continues to show the flaws in the strategy of the sponsors,” he said.

There is also new partner in the opposition to the bill. The Business Software Alliance, a trade group representing big tech companies such as Microsoft, IBM, or Intel, recently sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging action on multiple tech-related bills. In that letter, BSA said it does not support the Senate cybersecurity bill and asked for more privacy protections.