Senate Debates DHS' Role in Cybersecurity Regulation
Two competing bills are sharply dividing lawmakers in Washington D.C. as they attempt to define how the Department of Homeland Security should regulate cybersecurity in privately owned critical systems, according to an article in the Federal Times.
Legislation from Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., argues that many privately owned critical systems, such as those that run utilities or chemical plants, are not secure and require federal regulation, the article says. Sectors such as banking, finance and nuclear power already are required by law to meet specific cybersecurity standards, but the water industry and some subsectors of the energy industry (oil and natural gas) are not subject to federal rules. Their efforts to address cyber vulnerabilities are voluntary.