Tag: Information sharing

Congress today passed a cyber surveillance bill

Today, Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) re-introduced the Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (“CISPA”), a bill that has passed the House of Representatives twice previously, both in 2011 and 2013, and subsequently also twice faced a veto threat from the Administration. We once again urge Congress to reject CISPA. Instead, Congress should pass the Secure Data Act. Unlike CIPSA, it would actually protect user privacy and increase data security.

Sony Pictures Entertainment was recently pwned by a group calling themselves the Guardians of Peace, ostensibly acting under the guidance of the North Korean government (though this is subject to debate). It was bad that the hackers took advantage of a culture of bad cybersecurity practice at Sony. Thanks to a bevy of embarrassing cybersecurity practices, worse cybersecurity discourse, and a growing culture of fear in Washington (and around the world), there is little doubt that this incident will be spun to support poorly-drafted laws that infringe upon user rights and do nothing to increase security. We shouldn’t, and we don’t, have to sacrifice privacy to achieve better network security. The U.S. Congress needs to reject any legislation that would attack our privacy, such as an invasive information sharing regime.

In spite of a feeble legislative term, including the particularly devastating failure of surveillance reform, the 113th U.S. Congress pushed through four positive last-minute cybersecurity bills over the past two days. President Obama is soon expected to sign these bills into law. The new cyber measures increase government transparency and Congressional oversight of federal cybersecurity efforts, while expanding coordination between civilian agencies. Access supports the efforts of Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation and hopes the momentum will lead to more significant legislation for the 114th Congress.

With limited time left in the legislative calendar for this Congress, it is time for an assessment of priorities. To start, we need to reign in the NSA’s privacy-violating surveillance programs. The USA FREEDOM Act would limit, instead of expand, the government’s intake of user information. It should be a priority for the outgoing Congress. And yet, priorities seems to be elsewhere.

Access launched www.mlat.info, a website that makes it easy to explore the text and geographical scope of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs).

Representatives of top U.S. intelligence agencies testified before the House Intelligence Committee in a public oversight hearing. While the hearing largely served to allow officials to legitimate the recently-revealed massive US surveillance programs, a few representatives pushed back, granting the public important new information on these programs.

The White House issued a veto threat to congress, saying if CISPA doesn’t include privacy safeguards and civilian oversight, President Obama won’t sign the bill.