From: Bloomberg

By Alexei Alexis

Following House passage of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) bill focused on information sharing, the attention now shifts to the Senate, where key Democrats are calling for a more comprehensive approach that is favored by the White House.

The House passed its bill (H.R. 624) April 18 on a 288-127 vote, leaving out key provisions urged by the White House, such as language to promote cybersecurity standards for critical parts of the private sector (12 PVLR 671, 4/22/13).

“While information sharing is an important piece in our effort to modernize our outdated cybersecurity laws, it is only one of many elements needed to properly bolster our cyber defenses,” Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement provided by his office April 19. “Those of us in Congress need to pay close attention to other vital elements of cybersecurity, especially safeguarding our critical infrastructure.”

Carper said he will continue to work with Senate colleagues in coming weeks to craft bipartisan, comprehensive legislation that complements initiatives already moving forward under a cybersecurity executive order signed by President Obama in February (12 PVLR 257, 2/18/13).

Panels Expected to Work in ‘Regular Order.’

Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, raised similar concerns.

A committee aide told BNA that each committee with jurisdiction over cybersecurity will likely focus on a different aspect of the issue. Rockefeller’s panel is in the process of drafting its piece, the aide said.

In addition to Carper and Rockefeller, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is also expected to introduce cybersecurity legislation.

“We are currently drafting a bipartisan information sharing bill and will proceed as soon as we come to an agreement,” Feinstein said in a statement provided by her office April 19.