Washington, D.C. -- Congresswoman Terri Sewell issued the following statement after the House passed the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (H.R. 1560), a bipartisan bill that she cosponsored to encourage federal agencies and private businesses to share vital information about cyber threats and attacks.

“There has been a sharp increase in the number of cyberattacks that jeopardize our sensitive personal and financial information, hurt our economy, or threaten our national security. This bill addresses this emerging threat by creating an environment where companies voluntarily share information with each other and the federal government without compromising the privacy of American citizens.

“Fostering a collaborative environment helps American businesses defend themselves against harmful cyberattacks and better protect consumer information. Additionally, increasing coordination with federal agencies helps improve the government’s ability to protect our nation against foreign cyber threats.

 “This bill passed in the House with strong bipartisan support, and I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will work closely together to craft a bill that best ensures our collective national interests.” 

Rep. Sewell spoke on the House floor in support of the bill Wednesday afternoon. Click here to view her speech: http://1.usa.gov/1DOPW0e

Highlights of the Bill

This bill includes many privacy protections that haven’t been present in previous cyber legislation, including a requirement that requires the private sector and the government to both scrub private information before sharing information.  

Additionally, this bill would create a civilian portal, no direct sharing with the NSA, establish a very narrow set of government use provisions, and establish a clear legislative prohibition against using the provisions of this bill to authorize surveillance activities.

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