Legislation

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Ensure DOD Keeps Pace With Rapidly Changing Tech

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Angus King (I-ME) on Friday introduced the American Defense Programs, Logistics, and Acquisitions for the Nation’s Security (American Defense PLANS) Act, which would direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to facilitate an external...

Legislators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Secure Critical Infrastructure From Cyber Attacks

Reps. John Katko, R-N.Y., and Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., introduced a bipartisan bill in the House on Tuesday to protect systemically important critical infrastructure (SICI) from cyber attacks. Their bill, the Securing Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure Act, helps establish a transparent...
us house

House Passes Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act an overwhelming 410-15 margin. If approved by the Senate and enacted, the bill would create a cybersecurity personnel rotation program for Federal employees. The bill, introduced...

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Mandate Reporting of Cyber Attacks and Ransom Payments

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the committee’s ranking member, have introduced bipartisan legislation to require critical infrastructure owners and operators to report to the...

Lawmakers Urge Energy Department to Prioritize Cybersecurity in Wake of SolarWinds Breach

A bipartisan group of senators have urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to prioritize cybersecurity and to keep the leadership of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, (CESER), in place to ensure that the department can...
drugs

Legislators Target Tech’s Legal Immunity to Tackle Online Drug Sales

Two U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced legislation to tackle the sale of opioids and illicit drugs online through the amendment of a key federal law that grants online companies legal immunity. Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act...
social media

DOJ, Senate Repulicans, Introduce Bill to Let Americans Sue Big Tech for Undue Censorship

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and some republican lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill to empower Americans to sue Big Tech companies who act in bad faith by selectively censoring political speech and hiding content created by their competitors. Sen. Josh...

Senate Democrat Introduces Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Cybersecurity

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) on Friday introduced a pair of bills to address vulnerabilities in America’s cybersecurity defenses. The Continuity of Economy Act of 2020 would direct the President to develop a plan to ensure essential functions of the economy are...
senate

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Punish Theft of U.S. Technology

A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation to mandate strong economic penalties on firms and individuals involved in stealing American intellectual property. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) introduced the Protecting American Intellectual Property...

U.S. Senators Press Trump Administration to End Weaponization of Facial Recognition Technology

Severeal U.S. senators on Wednesday pressed Trump administration officials to end federal law enforcement’s weaponizing of facial recognition technology against peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights to speak out about the police killing of George Floyd and other black...

Lawmakers Query Juniper Networks on Use of NSA Algorithm With Backdoor Which Led to Breach

Some members of the U.S. House on Wednesday asked Juniper Networks to explain how an NSA-designed algorithm, which leading cybersecurity experts believe contains an encryption backdoor, appeared in its products, and how the key to this backdoor was later changed by unknown parties. Juniper...

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Propose $22.8 Billion in Aid to Semiconductor Industry

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill to provide more than $22.8 billion in aid for semiconductor manufacturers to "restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil." The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act...
fcc

Republican Senators Urge FCC to Clarify Section 230 Following Trump’s Executive Order

Four Republican senators have requested that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) take a fresh look at Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and clearly define the criteria for which companies can receive protections under the statute. Section 230 of...

Lawmakers Urge Probe of TikTok on Children’s Privacy

Following the rapid rise in the use of technology by children during the coronavirus pandemic, a bipartisan group of four senators on Friday urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate new evidence that the popular video social media...

Senators Applaud ICANN Blocking Sale of .Org Registry to Private Equity Firm

A group of senators recently praised the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for blocking the sale of the .org registry to a little-known venture capital firm, Ethos Capital. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Edward...
drone

Lawmaker Urges Justice Department to Prevent Drones from Interfering with Firefighting

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Friday wrote to the Department of Justice to exercise its legal authority to prevent drones from interfering with firefighting efforts in California and throughout the West. “Troubling reports have surfaced, such as on October 31,...

Legislators Introduce Bill to Force Social Media Firms to Disclose How Much They Make From User Data

Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Monday introduced the Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight And Regulations on Data (DASHBOARD) Act, bipartisan legislation that will require data harvesting companies such as social media platforms...
senate

Senate Passes Bill to Block ‘Trolls’ Who Meddle With US Elections From Entering The Country

The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to prevent individuals who interfere with U.S. elections from entering the United States. The Defending Elections against Trolls from Enemy Regimes (DETER) Act makes improper interference in U.S. elections a violation...
work

Lawmakers Introduce Cyber Ready Workforce Act to Boost Cybersecurity Workforce

Lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced legislation on Wednesday to address the shortage in the cybersecurity workforce. The Cyber Ready Workforce Act would establish a grant program within the Department of Labor whereby the Secretary of Labor shall award...
privacy

Draft U.S. Senate Bill Proposes Fines, Prison Time for Data Privacy Violations

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Thursday released a discussion draft of sweeping new legislation that would give consumers greater control over their personal information, create transparency into how corporations use and share their data, and impose harsh fines and...
cyber

Lawmakers Urge State Department to Adopt ‘Basic’ Cybersecurity Measures

A bipartisan group of Senators want the State Department to adopt what they refer to as basic cybersecurity measures to protect against phishing, hacks and other cyberattacks, in a letter released today. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ed...

Smart TV Tracking: Legislators Blast Privacy Policies, Call for FTC Probe

Democratic senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, are requesting that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launch an investigation into the privacy policies and practices of smart TV manufacturers. They...

House Passes Bill Aimed at Addressing Cyber Vulnerabilities in Industrial Control Systems

House lawmakers on Monday approved a bill aimed at addressing the vulnerabilities to technologies used in critical applications. The bill, H.R. 5733, the DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify...
net neutrality

Senate to Vote Wednesday on Net Neutrality Reinstatement

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced Monday that they will lead their Senate Democratic colleagues in forcing a vote on Wednesday, May 16, 2018...

Legislators Introduce Bipartisan Privacy Legislation to Protect Consumers’ Online Data

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Kennedy (R-LA) on Tuesday announced privacy legislation that will protect consumers’ online data. The bipartisan legislation would require companies to make privacy disclosures clearer and more transparent, give consumers the right to control...
fitness tracker

Blumenthal, Cotton Urge Defense Department to Evaluate Security Implications of Fitness Trackers

U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote to U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis to voice concerns about the collection of location data of U.S. servicemembers abroad. The Senators' letter...

Senators Introduce Legislation to Prohibit U.S. Government Use of Chinese Telco Firms

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) on Wednesday introduced the Defending U.S. Government Communications Act, legislation that would prohibit the United States government from purchasing or leasing telecommunications equipment and/or services from Huawei, ZTE, or any subsidiaries...
uber breach

Legislators Accuse Uber of Intentionally Concealing 2016 Data Breach From FTC

Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), both of whom are members of the House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, on Monday sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee...
rep mcnerny

Lawmaker Requests Briefing on Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities From Microchip Makers

A Democratic lawmaker on Tuesday asked major microchip makers whose products are affected by the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities to provide a briefing on the newly discovered cybersecurity flaws. Congressman Jerry McNerney’s (CA-09) letter follows recent reports that computer chips...
senate

Senate Forges Ahead With Efforts to Overrule FCC’s Repeal of Net Neutrality; Garners 50 Votes

Fifty senators have endorsed a legislative measure to override the Federal Communications Commission's December decision to roll back net neutrality rules, top Democrats said Monday. The resolution aims to overturn the FCC's decision and prohibit the agency from passing similar...
hacker

Lawmakers Unveil Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Future Disruptions in Elections

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Tuesday introduced the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act. According to the legislators, “it sends a powerful message to any foreign actor seeking to disrupt our...

Trump Signs MGT Act Into Law to Facilitate Federal IT Modernization

President Trump signed the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act into law on Tuesday, establishing an IT modernization fund for federal agencies to upgrade their outdated technology systems. The MGT Act creates a $500 million central modernization fund over two years,...

House Passes Major Cybersecurity Legislation

House lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously passed H.R. 3359, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2017. The bill was sponsored by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize...
cyber

Senators Introduce Legislation to Bolster Election Cybersecurity

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Wednesday , introduced bipartisan legislation to protect American election systems from foreign interference. The senators, who are members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced the Securing America's...
shipping

House Passes Bill Aimed at Boosting Cybersecurity at U.S. Ports

The House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill meant to boost cybersecurity at the nation’s seaports. H.R. 3101, the Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2017 was passed in the wake of the...
cybersecurity

Senate Passes Cybersecurity Legislation Aimed at Small Businesses

The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology (MAIN STREET) Cybersecurity Act. The bipartisan bill will provide a consistent set of resources for small businesses to...
autonomous

Senate Releases Bipartisan Legislation to Guide Driverless Car Industry

The Senate released bipartisan legislation on Thursday specifically aimed at providing federal laws to guide the autonomous vehicle industry. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today introduced the...
kaspersky

Senate Votes to Ban Kaspersky Lab Products From Government Networks

The U.S. Senate on Monday passed an amendment against Kaspersky Lab pushed forward by New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. The amendment bans the use of Kaspersky Lab software across the federal government, and passed the Senate as part of...

Congressman Reintroduces the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act

Following the Equifax data breach, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, reintroduced the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, which provides for a single national breach notification standard. The bill requires that companies notify...

Legislator Introduces Bill to Provide Americans With Free Credit Protections

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Thursday introduced legislation to allow Americans to protect themselves from financial fraud at no cost. This is response to reports that millions of Americans’ personally identifiable and credit card information was exposed in...

Legislators Introduce Bill Tasking Credit Report Companies With Greater Accountability

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass,), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) introduced legislation on Thursday to require accountability and transparency for data brokers like Equifax who are collecting and selling personal and sensitive information about...

Legislators Request Information on Equifax Breach, Say Incident Most Costly Yet

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Monday called on Equifax Inc., to respond to reports that the firm experienced a data breach exposing personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers,...
drone

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Protect Aircraft from Drones

U.S. Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) last week introduced the Drone Operator Safety Act, a bill to help protect American air traffic from the misuse of drones. The bill would make it a criminal offense to...

Hurd Introduces Smart Wall Legislation

U.S. Representative Will Hurd (R-TX) last week introduced the Secure Miles with All Resources and Technology (SMART) Act. Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-TX), David G. Valadao (R-CA), Steve Knight (R-CA), Steve Pearce (R-NM), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Keith Rothfus...
iot

Senators Introduce Long Overdue Bill to Improve Security of IoT Devices

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, along with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-WA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) on Tuesday introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the cybersecurity of Internet-connected devices. The...
data

AIRWAVES Act to Expedite Introduction of High Speed Wireless to Rural Areas

Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) on Tuesday introduced the Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum (AIRWAVES) Act, which is aimed at encouraging the federal government to continue to free up spectrum for...
cyber

Senators Introduce Legislation to Combat Cybercrime

A bipartisan pair of senators on Thursday introduced legislation aimed at combating cybercrime against U.S. computer networks. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Congresswoman Susan Brooks (R-IN) introduced legislation to combat cyberattacks...
google

Google Slammed With Record $2.7B Fine by EU in Antitrust Case

The European Commission slammed Google with a €2.42 billion ($2.7 billion) fine on Tuesday for breaching EU antitrust rules. According to EU antitrust regulators, Google has abused its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage...

Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Protect Online Privacy

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Thursday introduced the Balancing the Rights of Web Surfers Equally and Responsibly (BROWSER) Act of 2017 to protect the online privacy of Americans. The legislation designates the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...
hacker

PATCH Act: Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Establish Govt. Cyber Vulnerability Review Board

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that aims to prevent another mass leak of government-owned hacking tools, by forcing the government to present its haul of undisclosed zero-day exploits it uses to target computers and networks...
us house

House Passes Hurd-Connolly IT Modernization Bill

A bill to create avenues for agencies to modernize their IT systems passed the House in a floor vote Wednesday. The Hurd-Connolly Modernizing Government Technology Act maintains that current aging government technology is not only expensive and inefficient, but also...
energy

Congress Launches Advanced Energy Storage Caucus to Bipartisan Support

U.S. Representatives Chris Collins (R-NY) and Mark Takano (D-CA) launched the Advanced Energy Storage Caucus in Congress last week, joined by executives from leading utilities, developers, and manufacturers of storage technologies. The focus of the Caucus is to educate Members...
cybersecurity

House Panel Passes Bill Aimed at Helping Small Businesses Improve Their Cyber Defenses

The House Science Committee passed legislation Tuesday requiring the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the government’s cybersecurity standards agency, to provide guidance and other resources to small businesses to help them bolster their cyber posture. H.R. 2105, the...
iot

Senator Introduces Bill to Nullify FCC’s Open Internet Order

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on Monday introduced a bill that would nullify the Federal Communications Commission’s 2015 Open Internet Order and prohibit the FCC from issuing a similar rule in the future. The bill, Restoring Internet Freedom Act, is...
digital

Lawmakers Launch Bipartisan Digital Trade Caucus

Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) launched the Congressional Digital Trade Caucus Monday to promote a U.S. trade policy that works in the digital economy. Digital trade accounts for more than half of U.S. service exports. The United...
congress

Lawmakers Reintroduce IT Modernization Bill in Congress

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT), a federal IT reform package is designed to reduce wasteful IT spending and strengthen information security by accelerating the federal government’s transition to modern technology like cloud...
security

Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Bolster Cybersecurity Resources for Small Businesses

A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday introduced the Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology (MAIN STREET) Cybersecurity Act. The new legislation will provide a consistent set of resources for small businesses...

House Passes Bill to Allow ISPs Collect Users’ Personal Data Without Permission

The House voted Tuesday 215 to 205 to block internet privacy rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year. The FCC rules aimed to give consumers greater autonomy over how ISPs could use their data. The recently...
warner

Sen. Warner Questions D.C.’s Metro on Cyberattack Preparedness

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) on Monday grilled the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on three areas related to systems communication – specifically cybersecurity operations, wireless communication, and interoperability of first-responder communications systems after radio problems hindered...
senate

Rule 41 Senate Block Fails: US Government Surveillance Powers Now Expanded

A final attempt by a bipartisan group of senators Wednesday to allow a vote to block a new rule that grants federal agents armed with a single search warrant the authority to hack millions of Americans' computers or smartphones...
hacker

Lawmakers Say DOJ ‘Dodged’ Senate Questions About Government Hacking

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Chris Coons, D-Del., said Tuesday they are “deeply disappointed with the Justice Department’s failure to substantively answer” many of the questions by 23 U.S. lawmakers about a new expanded mass hacking authority that is...
laptop

Lawmaker Urges FTC to Investigate Office Depot Over Reports of Unnecessary Computer Repairs

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez urging the agency to investigate allegations that Office Depot is causing consumers to buy unnecessary computer repair packages and software. The allegations against Office...
senate

U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Stall Implementation of Enhanced Government Hacking Powers

U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at delaying controversial changes to search and seizure rules that would facilitate certain forms of hacking by law enforcement. The Review the Rule Act aims to delay for discussion proposed amendments to Rule 41...
ddos

U.S. Lawmakers Examine the Role of Connected Devices in Recent Cyber Attacks

The Communications and Technology Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), and the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), on Wednesday held a hearing examining the recent series of Internet of Things...
laptop

OMB Updates Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo on Tuesday to heads of Executive departments and agencies informing them of updates to Federal Agency public websites and digital services. Federal Agency public websites and digital services include online...
health

ONC’s Report to Congress Focuses on Interoperability and Future of Health IT

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), a staff division of the Office of the Secretary, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has issued its annual report to Congress on the...
greg walden

House Committees to Probe Cyberattack Against Dyn

The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), have scheduled a joint hearing for Wednesday, November 16, to probe...
congress

Industry Group Urges Senate to Act on IT Modernization Bill

The Professional Services Council (PSC), sent a letter last week to leaders in the Senate, urging the Senate to take action on H.R. 6004, the “Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2016,” before the end of the legislative session. The bill...
privacy

U.S. Lawmakers Query Justice Department on New Hacking Rules

A bipartisan group of legislators on Thursday signed a letter asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to clarify how forthcoming rule changes to the scope of government hacking powers could affect citizens’ privacy. Scheduled to go into effect on December...
warner

U.S. Senator Probes Bot-Laden DDoS Attack on Dyn, Lack of Security of IoT Devices

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, is seeking for solutions to prevent cyber actors from wreaking havoc using consumer IoT products.  Warner sent...
cyber

Proposed Bill to Give Tax Credits for Cyber Insurance

This month, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) introduced a new bill, H.R. 6032, the Data Breach Insurance Act. The bill would provide a 15 percent tax deduction on premium paid for businesses that purchase data breach insurance. To receive the credit,...
yahoo

Democratic Senators Call Yahoo’s Delay in Announcing Breach ‘Unaccpetable’

Pressure continues to mount on Yahoo as repercussions from the recently announced massive breach stack up. Six democratic senators have written a scathing letter to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, calling the delay in reporting the 2014 breach of over...
warner

Sen. Mark Warner Urges SEC to Investigate Yahoo Breach

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) has called on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate whether Yahoo properly notified the public and its investors of the massive security breach that affected at least 500 million user accounts. "Disclosure is the...
bitcoin

Lawmakers Form Bipartisan Congressional Blockchain Caucus

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday announced the creation of a Congressional Blockchain Caucus dedicated to the advancement of sound public policy toward cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based technologies. “Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize the financial services industry,...
us house

House Unanimously Passes Modernizing Government Technology Act

The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act passed on a voice vote by the House, Thursday. The legislation sponsored by Representatives Will Hurd, Gerry Connolly, Jason Chaffetz, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, and Congressman Mark Meadows, is aimed at...
blumenthal

Yahoo Hack: Blumenthal Calls for Congressional Action on Data Breach and Security

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has called for Congress to enact data breach and security legislation following Yahoo’s Thursday disclosure of a 2014 data breach. The breach affected well over 500 million users, making it the largest publicly disclosed...
cyber

New Cyber Bill Proposes Agency Heads be Fired When Breaches Occur

A bill introduced in the House this week by Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-La., proposes that agency heads be demoted, fired or subjected to disciplinary action if a data breach occurs under their watch. Titled, the Cybersecurity Responsibility and Accountability Act...
jack lew

U.S. Treasury Pressures EU to Rescind Apple Tax Ruling

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Wednesday the European Commission's order that Apple pay back taxes to Ireland could negatively affect Europe's economic outlook. He made this observation at an event to discuss Washington's position ahead of a...
startup

House Passes Two Bills Aimed At Encouraging Startup Investing

The House on Tuesday voted 394-4 to pass a measure aimed at reworking regulations for crowdfunding. The bill, H.R. 4855, (Fix Crowdfunding Act) attracted bipartisan support and easily cruised through the House by a vote of 394 – 4. ...
sen. warren

Sen. Warren Advocates For Stronger Restrictions On Internet Providers’ Use Of Customer Data

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote a letter on Tuesday advocating for strong Federal Communications Commission privacy rules for internet service providers. In the letter, which was addressed to FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, she asked for “strong FCC rules to establish...
twitter

Democrats Stage Sit-In On House Floor To Force Gun Control Legislation: Cameras Go Dark

Democrats staged a sit-in on the House floor Wednesday to try and force action on gun control legislation. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), urged his colleagues to “join him on the floor,” and dozens of Democrats obliged him. Shortly after this,...
senate

Senate Rejects Proposal To Grant FBI Increased Warrantless Surveillance

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday very narrowly voted down a proposal to expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation's secretive surveillance powers following the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub last week. Privacy-conscious senators blocked the Republican-backed amendment that would...
radio mast

Wireless Industry Protest Bill To Remove Cell Phone Subsidies

The wireless industry is protesting a bill that would make it difficult for wireless companies to access subsidies meant to pay for service to low-income earners. Wireless association CTIA sent a letter to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and...
Hacking

U.S. Congressman Introduces ‘Cyber Preparedness Act’ To Boost Cybersecurity

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) introduced legislation June 14 that would improve collaboration between federal, state, local agencies on cyber threats, as well as reform and strengthen the country’s cybersecurity procedures. The Cyber Preparedness Act, H.R. 5459 uses ideas proposed...
lawmakers

US Lawmakers Vote Down ‘Backdoor Search Loophole’ In Surveillance Law

House lawmakers on Thursday rejected language that would have prevented US government from implementing the so-called “backdoor search loophole” in current surveillance law. The bipartisan ammendment to the annual Defense appropriations bill failed 198-222. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY, 4th) and...
senate

Senate Committee Greenlights Small Business Exemption From Net Neutrality Regulations

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today approved a bill to exempt small business owners from the provisions of net neutrality regulations. The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2015 provides “relief from regulatory burdens disproportionately affecting...
senate

US Senators Create ‘Senate Cybersecurity Caucus’

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) today announced the creation of the ‘Senate Cybersecurity Caucus’ to keep Senators and their staffs informed on major policy issues and developments in cybersecurity.  The announcement which was made at...
capitol

Senate Dem Proposes Creation Of Cyberecurity ‘Millitia’

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., on Monday called for the creation of a cybersecurity "militia" that would help the U.S. bolster its cybersecurity stance, even if it means recruiting people who don't measure up to traditional military recruiting standards. "A single,...
iot

Facebook, Google, Others ‘Strongly’ Oppose Amendment Of Email Privacy Bill

Facebook, Google and concerned parties are opposing part of a major email privacy bill that they say would dangerously expand what data law enforcement can obtain without a warrant. Specifically, they are opposed to an expansion of the National...
ftc

FTC Says Legislation Based On IoT Privacy Or Data Security ‘Premature’

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said that any privacy and security data legislation specific to the Internet of Things would currently be premature. FTC staff report recommended that Congress enact more general IoT security and privacy legislation, instead...
congress

Senators Push For Warrant Protections For Documents of US Residents Stored Overseas

The International Communications Privacy Act, a new bill introduced Wednesday by three senators, aims to close a loophole that allows law enforcement agencies to request emails and other electronic documents without warrants. The new bill would require U.S. law enforcement...
us house

US House Rejects Bill To Force Carriers To Disclose Phone Location

The U.S. House of Representatives voted May 23 not to force carriers to disclose a phone’s location to law enforcement in the event of an emergency. Lawmakers voted 229-158 to pass the Kelsey Smith Act, falling short of the...
legislation

New Bill Seeks To Block Expansion Of FBI Hacking Authority

A group of bipartisan senators have introduced new legislation Thursday seeking to block a rule change, which would allow the FBI to conduct mass hacking of any computer in the country or even overseas. The one-page legislation from Democratic Senator...
sandisk

Regulators Greenlight $19 Billion Acquisition of SanDisk By Western Digital

Transaction Expected to Close Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Ministry of Commerce of China (“MOFCOM”) has approved the acquisition of SanDisk by Western Digital Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) announced...
internet

F.C.C. Tweaks Plan To Subsidize Internet Access For Low-Income Americans

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Tuesday it would extend federal Lifeline subsidies to help cover Internet service costs. People who do not have regular access to the Internet can fall behind in school, at work and in other...

House of Representatives Pass Asbestos Lawsuits Reform Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that targets class action lawsuits and the asbestos injury compensation system. H.R. 1927 combines the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act and the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act, or FACT...
asbestos

Public Interest Groups Warn Asbestos Bill Could Encourage Online Identity Theft

Public interest groups, led by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Action Fund, are trying to kill a Republican-backed bill aiming to reduce asbestos lawsuit fraud that could receive a vote Thursday. The so-called Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act...

U.S. Justice Department Files Civil Lawsuit Against Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche For Emissions Violations

The Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Monday filed a civil complaint in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, against Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, Volkswagen Group of America Inc., Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations...

NHTSA Fines BMW $40 Million for Recall Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has hit BMW with a $40 million fine after failing to address crash-testing problems on its small Mini vehicles, the latest in a string of automotive companies to be penalized by U.S....