White House pleased with cybersecurity bill's approach

A White House spokeswoman said the administration is pleased with the "comprehensive approach" of the Senate's cybersecurity bill, which was introduced Tuesday. 

"While we are fully reviewing the bill introduced by Sens. [Joe] Lieberman [(I-Conn.)], [Susan] Collins [(R-Maine)], [Jay] Rockefeller [(D-W.Va.)] and [Dianne] Feinstein [(D-Calif.)], we are especially pleased with the bill's comprehensive approach and the Senators' work to address the core national security requirements and economic interests laid out in the Administration’s legislative proposal," said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council. 

"We fully support the fact that the bill provides [the Homeland Security Department] the authority to address critical infrastructure risks and to enable greater sharing of cybersecurity information while preserving privacy and civil liberties. We look forward to continued engagement with the Congress as this vital legislation moves forward."

The legislation would give the Homeland Security Department regulatory authority over companies with computer systems crucial to the nation's economic and physical security. It would require that the companies take adequate precautions to safeguard their systems and would increase information-sharing about cyber threats between the private sector and the government. 

President Obama issued his own cybersecurity proposal in May and urged Congress to move forward with legislation during his State of the Union address last month.

Although the two proposals are similar in many respects, one crucial difference is that the Senate bill would give Homeland Security the power to fine companies that ignore the cybersecurity standards. The White House proposal would have relied on publicly shaming the companies rather than levying civil penalties. 

"We need the Congress to provide our professionals and the private sector with the tools they need to effectively address the full range of cyber threats, while respecting the values of freedom, openness, and innovation," Hayden said. "As noted in the President's State of the Union Address, the American people expect us to ensure the nation’s critical infrastructure is protected, and quickly enacting comprehensive legislation would be an incredibly important step."

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