Bill To Shift Civilian Cybersec Program to NSA

Washington — Lead co-sponsors of the House cybersecurity legislation, Reps. Rogers and Ruppersberger, today described – but did not reveal – the amendments they intend to offer at a Wednesday mark up of their bill, CISPA, at the House Intelligence Committee. The amendments would not address one of the most important demands of privacy groups: that the cybersecurity program remain in civilian hands at the Department of Homeland Security.

“By permitting companies to share cyber threat information directly with the National Security Agency, CISPA will shift the locus of the government’s civilian cybersecurity program to a secretive military agency. This endangers civil liberties, undermines transparency and therefore public trust, and drew a veto threat from the White House last year,” said Gregory T. Nojeim, Director of the Project on Freedom, Security and Technology at CDT. “While some of the amendments described today could be helpful, civilian control is the elephant in the room that CISPA co-sponsors refuse to address.”
CDT will issue an analysis of the amendments when they are revealed.

CDT will issue an analysis of the amendments when they are revealed.