Cybersecurity Plan Faulted by US Chamber of Commerce

The US Chamber of Commerce rejects as "regulatory overreach" the core of a new White House proposal for protecting America's computer systems from cyberattacks, according to an internal draft document.

The criticism comes as a blow to the White House, where officials thought they had secured the influential business group's support. The Chamber's stance could threaten the prospects for the administration's approach, cybersecurity specialists said. "You need the Chamber to be supportive," said James Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who advised the administration on the issue. White House officials "thought they had gotten a fair degree of support from the Chamber and others." The Chamber issued a press release after the White House's plan was released last week, welcoming the proposal. But Chamber officials say they have found significant areas of concern. "The draft may be tough, but we are trying to be responsible and engage policy makers," a Chamber official said. "It's reflecting our concerns [about] potential regulation as we see them." The Chamber's main complaint is that the White House plan would require certain companies running the most-crucial infrastructure to submit to more rigorous outside oversight of their cybersecurity practices.