CISPA Cybersecurity Bill Passes House, With Some Amendments

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, better known as CISPA, cleared the House of Representatives on a 248-168 vote late Thursday afternoon after several hours of debate and amending.

CISPA’s intention is to allow private companies to share information about cybersecurity threats with one another and with the federal government. The bill was introduced by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).

Some of the amendments passed included language to restrict the use of information collected under CISPA and ensure that most collected data would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Proponents of CISPA, including top technology companies such as Facebook and Microsoft, have argued that CISPA would allow businesses to pool knowledge about cyberattacks, enhancing their ability to defend their networks. Naysayers believe the bill would allow private companies to send Internet users’ personal information to the federal government with minimal civilian oversight.

CISPA’s authors worked with technology companies as well as privacy and civil liberty organizations after controversy over the bill began to brew. Some privacy groups, such as the Center for Democracy and Technology, tentatively withheld their opposition to CISPA dependent on the amendment process.

But two amendments the CDT and other groups considered key to addressing their concerns with CISPA were blocked from debate, leading the CDT to renew their opposition.

Anti-CISPA online petitions from groups such as Demand Progress have gained tens of thousands of signatures.

CISPA was passed under the spectre of a veto threat from senior advisors at the White House, who said they would recommend President Obama not sign the bill should it reach his desk prior to being amended as they believe the bill trades individual privacy for security. It is not yet certain if the amendments the House passed Thursday would be enough to earn the president’s signature.

It is unclear at this time if the amended form of the bill, which will be posted online shortly, will satisfy the bill’s advocates and critics alike.

Before CISPA reaches the White House and the possibility of veto, it must pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate, where other competing cybersecurity bills have been gaining momentum.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, PashaIgnatov

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