House Intelligence Committee Announces Cybersecurity Legislation: Path Forward Uncertain

On November 30, 2011, U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and ranking member Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act ("CISPA") to assist companies in sharing information with the government regarding cyber threats and attacks. On December 1, the Committee voted 17-1 to advance the bill (H.R. 3523).

The bill aims to help U.S. businesses protect themselves and their customers from domestic and foreign hackers looking to degrade, disrupt, or destroy systems or networks, and/or to steal corporate records, trade secrets, and other intellectual property. Specifically, the bill authorizes the government to share classified cyber threat intelligence with private sector entities that have an appropriate security clearance and where the sharing (1) is consistent with the need to protect U.S. national security and (2) is used by the private entity in a manner that protects