HPSCI members comment on introduction of cyber bill

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, Ranking Member Adam Schiff, NSA and Cybersecurity Subcommittee Chairman Lynn Westmoreland, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim Himes issued the following statements on the introduction today of the Protecting Cyber Networks Act:

Chairman Nunes: “Gangs of cyber criminals, sometimes supported by hostile governments, are increasing their attacks on U.S. networks and American businesses. These assaults are costing our economy billions of dollars and are compromising American citizens’ personal and financial information. The Intelligence Committee is acting to mitigate this growing problem by advancing a bill that will encourage businesses and the federal government to share information on known cyber threats. These attacks are a genuine national security threat that cannot be tolerated any longer.”

Ranking Member Schiff: “Cyber attacks and theft have cost this country billions of dollars and thousands of jobs, and have compromised the private information of millions of Americans. A voluntary cyber information sharing bill will help us defend against this pernicious threat, and the time to act is now. Intellectual property that took American companies years to develop is being stolen in a flash, and consumers’ information is being spread maliciously across the web for personal gain.  Our bipartisan bill will ensure that businesses and government have the information they need to help defend against this growing threat, while safeguarding the privacy of the targets of these attacks. It’s my hope that the House takes up this bipartisan bill soon after the House Intelligence Committee advances it, and that we work with the Senate, the White House and outside stakeholders to make any necessary improvements on its way to the President’s desk.”

Chairman Westmoreland: “We cannot continue to allow outdated laws to be the barriers to solutions. The Protecting Cyber Networks Act enhances our cybersecurity by allowing information sharing on imminent cyber threats between the private and public sectors, and by ensuring that personally identifiable information is not compromised during the process. When we empower American businesses and citizens to work together, we can fight back against hackers and cyberterrorists for the good of our nation and all its people.”

Ranking Member Himes: “I commend the committee for working in a bipartisan fashion to craft this much-needed legislation on cybersecurity-related information sharing. Experts from all corners agree that a balanced cyber information sharing bill is a critical next step in securing our networks, preserving our privacy and safeguarding against the kinds of cyber-attacks we’ve seen against Anthem, Target and Home Depot. This legislation marks an important step and I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve the proposal as it moves forward and to ensure that Congress passes a comprehensive cybersecurity bill this year.”

For more information on the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, click here.

Source: HPSCI