4 things to know about the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act

With the U.S. Senate close to making a decision on a crucial bill involving cyber attacks, businesses are taking sides on whether or not the measure — if passed into legislation — will be in their best interests. Here are just a few things you should know about the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA S. 2588) and what it could mean for your business in the future.

What is it?: The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act is a proposed law designed to “improve cybersecurity in the United States through enhanced sharing of information about cybersecurity threats, and for other purposes.”

Who supports it?: In addition to the bipartisan support it has gained in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as numerous businesses, organizations, and industries back the legislation. They believe it will encourage collaboration among companies and the government in efforts to share information that could prevent cyberattacks. Rep. Sen. Richard Burr strongly urged its adoption. “It’s time to take action to keep Americans safe and to reinforce our defenses against adversaries that we cannot see before we fall further behind on this new battlefront,” he said.

Who opposes it?: The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents numerous leading telecom and e-commerce businesses, said that it opposes the proposed legislation as it is currently written. The sharing of cyber threat information, as outlined in the bill, “does not sufficiently protect users’ privacy or appropriately limit the permissible uses of information shared with the government,” the CCIA said in its blog. It also stated that it allow entities to employ network defense measures that could lead to collateral harm to the systems of innocent third parties. In addition, companies like Apple, Google, Twitter and Dropbox oppose the measure.

What’s next?: The Senate was expected to pass the cybersecurity bill by the end of the fall. However, it would need to be reconciled with a version passed by the House earlier this year before being sent to the White House to be signed by President Barack Obama.

Lifeline Data Centers, which provides outsourced data center facilities and services, helps reduce the risks of managing complex information technology. Contact us for a tour to find out more.

Other resources:

• Infographic: The 22 Data Center Compliance Acronyms You Need to Know
• White Paper: Why Data Center Compartmentalization is Important
• Lifeline One Sheet: What You Need to Know About Lifeline Data Centers

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.