From: Executive.Gov
House committees approved two cybersecurity bills on Wednesday and they are set to hit the House floor for consideration next week, the Federal Times reports.
The Oversight Committee approved the Federal Information Security Amendments Act, which would require agencies to practice continuous monitoring of their security networks.
The bill would also require agencies to appoint either a chief information security officer or a senior official to oversee information security programs and compliance.
The Homeland Security Committee approved a version of the Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Act, which would allow the Department of Homeland Security to share information with the private sector.
That bill would give the DHS the ability to help critical infrastructure owners and operators defend their networks when requested.
However, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said the amended bill does not give enough authority to DHS in defending the power and water systems.
In February, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced similar legislation that would authorize the DHS to regulate private-owned critical systems.
Lieberman’s bill may not be voted on until May, according to Federal Times.
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) said his cybersecurity subcommittee will work on a separate bill to deal with securing critical infrastructure components.
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which promotes information sharing with the government and private sector, is also set to hit the House floor next week.
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