House Supports Cybersecurity Legislation That Could Create Liability Shield For Information Sharing

In a pair of recent votes, the House of Representatives supported legislation that would create liability protections for companies that share with the federal government information about cyberthreats.  The bills, H.R. 1560 and H.R. 1731, allow private companies to take defensive cybersecurity measures to protect their rights and property.  They also allow for sharing of the information learned with federal and state agencies, and limit the manner in which those agencies can use the information.  The bills were prompted in part by the belief that companies that are subject to data breaches are reluctant to share cyberthreat information with the government due to liability concerns, thereby thwarting countermeasures.