Posted by: bittertruth May 1, 2012
Login in to Rate this Post:
0 
? 
?
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, better known as CISPA, cleared the House of Representatives late last week.
CISPA aims to allow private businesses to share information about cybersecurity threats with one another and with the federal government. Proponents say that sharing helps beef up American networks’ defense against cyberattacks, but opponents have — justifiably — warned that it would put Internet users’ privacy in jeopardy.
CISPA truly had the potential to become decent cybersecurity legislation. Information sharing between businesses is a good idea, but when you get the federal government and shady intelligence organizations like the National Security Agency involved, it seems as if Big Brother is looking over our shoulders while we browse our favorite websites.
There’s a reason Rep. Hank Johnson, while debating CISPA, said that it “feels like 1984 in this House today.”
Sadly, amendments that would’ve addressed those privacy fears were blocked from discussion by House leadership for reasons unknown. The version of CISPA passed by the House last week did little to address worries that the bill would jeopardize Internet users’ privacy, disappointing some — myself included.
Now CISPA’s headed to the Senate, where two things can happen: It can be stripped of its Orwellian language, leaving a decent bill that allows private firms to share threat information with one another while protecting users’ privacy, or it can be killed off and Congress can adopt new cybersecurity legislation and try again.
src here::
CISPA aims to allow private businesses to share information about cybersecurity threats with one another and with the federal government. Proponents say that sharing helps beef up American networks’ defense against cyberattacks, but opponents have — justifiably — warned that it would put Internet users’ privacy in jeopardy.
CISPA truly had the potential to become decent cybersecurity legislation. Information sharing between businesses is a good idea, but when you get the federal government and shady intelligence organizations like the National Security Agency involved, it seems as if Big Brother is looking over our shoulders while we browse our favorite websites.
There’s a reason Rep. Hank Johnson, while debating CISPA, said that it “feels like 1984 in this House today.”
Sadly, amendments that would’ve addressed those privacy fears were blocked from discussion by House leadership for reasons unknown. The version of CISPA passed by the House last week did little to address worries that the bill would jeopardize Internet users’ privacy, disappointing some — myself included.
Now CISPA’s headed to the Senate, where two things can happen: It can be stripped of its Orwellian language, leaving a decent bill that allows private firms to share threat information with one another while protecting users’ privacy, or it can be killed off and Congress can adopt new cybersecurity legislation and try again.
src here::