The FCC hosted a Cybersecurity Roundtable focused on small businesses. In his remarks, Chairman Genachowski explained that is is “vital that small business be in the cybersecurity equation” and that “small businesses that don’t take protective measures are particularly vulnerable targets for cybercriminals.”
The Chairman also noted that “Congress has also been actively considering legislative proposals that would include increased information sharing between the government and private sector.”
There is no question that small businesses need to take vigorous, pro-active cybersecurity measures. There is also no doubt that information sharing between government and business, while crucial to national cybersecurity, needs to be governed by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Well intentioned sharing of private sector cybersecurity-related information with federal authorities has the potential to become an expensive and inefficient information collection exercise that needlessly burdens small businesses.
It is only through scrupulous adherence to the requirements of the PRA that the agencies will be able to conduct any necessary cybersecurity-related information collections/disseminations in an efficient and appropriately justified manner.
The Chairman’s remark’s may be found here.
The FCC’s Small Business Cybersecurity Roundtable page may be found here.
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