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Posted on June 15th, 2012 in Government Policy by Simply Security | Be the first to comment | Tags: Government Policy

A revised cybersecurity bill could make it to the president's desk sooner than expected.

Government regulation of online platforms has been one of the thorniest issues on the political landscape in the past year, from the polarizing Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that ultimately failed to garner adequate support to the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) that appears to be picking up speed in Congress. But even as consumers, industry leaders and legislators remain divided on the topic, it seems a proposal could reach the Oval Office sooner than expected.

CISPA finds friends in high places

Some of the most recognizable voices in the intelligence community have been speaking out in recent weeks, reminding consumers and politicians alike of the increasingly blurry line between Internet security and national security.

"Our cybersecurity as a country is inextricably linked to our economic capability," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano explained in an industry briefing last month. "The systems we use are interdependent, interconnected and critical to daily life in the United States. Communication, travel, powering our homes, running our banking systems – these are all interconnected systems."

While Napolitano stopped short of suggesting that the nation is in a state of cyberwarfare, according to CSO Online, she did invoke the idea that cybercrime was a threat "much bigger than al Qaeda." Interestingly enough, the secretary's remarks came just days before a New York Times expose suggested the United States was responsible for a campaign to disrupt Iranian nuclear operations with what has been deemed the world's first sustained use of state-sponsored cyberweapons.

With many now convinced that the United States has likely passed a point of no return in cyberwarfare, the intelligence community is urging senators to expedite the passage of CISPA to give government engineers the tools they need to combat increasingly advanced threats.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff and former NSA and CIA director Michael Hayden were two of the six signatures calling for immediate action.

"We will not advocate one approach over another – however, we do feel strongly that critical infrastructure protection needs to be addressed in any cybersecurity legislation," officials wrote. "The risk is simply too great considering the reality of our interconnected and interdependent world, and the impact that can result from the failure of even one part of the network across a wide range of physical, economic and social systems."

Telling signs of compromise

These remarks seems to have galvanized at least a small subset of senators as one bipartisan group has taken the lead in introducing potential compromises that would ease the current political gridlock. According to Bloomberg, Senator Joseph Lieberman appears to be carrying the torch for the initiative and is proposing a bill that would essentially hand the Department of Homeland Security exclusive power to set cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructure such as energy grids and transportation networks.

This bill has encountered opposition from Republicans who are in favor of voluntary, industry-led Internet security improvements that may be more agile and effective than prescriptive government mandates. However, middle ground could be established by proposals for an incentive structure that would ultimately inspire corporations to achieve the same end goals advocated for by government officials.

According to the Hill's Brendan Sasso, the initial framework may tie the advantage of government threat intelligence to "baseline standards" that companies can choose to meet. For utility providers, these experts' insights could be especially enticing and consequently capable of inspiring the cybersecurity innovations that all agree are imperative.

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