The Homeland Security Department Issues a Big Warning About the Senate's Cyber Bill

The Homeland Security Department said in an official letter that a cyberinformation-sharing bill under consideration in the Senate would be detrimental to Americans' privacy and the country's cybersecurity. The agency said a provision in the bill that authorizes the private sector to share cyberthreat information with any federal agency would "increase the complexity and difficulty of a new information sharing program" and "sweep away important privacy protections." DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who signed the letter, also wrote that distributing information across many agencies would mean the "inefficiency of any information sharing program will markedly increase; developing a single, comprehensive picture of the range of cyberthreats faced daily will become more difficult.

"The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act passed out of the Senate Intelligence Committee nearly unanimously in March, but some lawmakers have since raised questions about its privacy protections and efficiency. Supporters on both sides of the aisle say it will facilitate cyberthreat sharing between the private sector and the government, thereby making it easier for both to detect and shut down online intrusions. The letter, a response to a request for information from Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), was sent on July 31 and released by Sen Franken's office Aug 3.