Codebreaker

Cybersecurity bill politics are quarrelsome but Reid will bring it to the floor

John Moe Feb 16, 2012


As we indicated on today’s Tech Report, the new cybersecurity did indeed drop in the Senate and hearings are being held today. And as expected, everyone hates it. Some on the left are saying it has loopholes you could drive a truck through and as a result a lot of companies critical to national security will be vulnerable to online attacks. Some on the right think it goes too far and creates way too much government interference with private industry. Some people think the bill dresses funny or drives a stupid car or has ugly hair. It’s an unpopular bill.

Nevertheless, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he will bring the bill to the floor for a vote next week and allow no additional markups along the way. Hillicon Valley cites unnamed Senate aides saying that they expect an amendment to be presented requiring companies to notify customers when their data has been breached. That’s something that some Democratic and Republican members have been requesting for some time.

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