Weekly News Roundup: March 27, 2017
Senate Passes Resolution Undoing FCC’s ISP Consumer Privacy Rules
On Thursday, March 23, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that undid consumer privacy rules passed by the FCC in October 2016. These rules prevented ISPs from sharing web browsing data and other private information with third parties without their consumers’ explicit consent. Opponents said the rules made it difficult for ISPs to do business, favored non-ISPs like Google and Facebook that weren’t affected by the rules, and confused consumers. Supporters said the rules protected consumer privacy and prevented ISPs from selling sensitive personal information for profit. The resolution goes next to the House.
Proposed Senate Bill Requires Disclosure of Cybersecurity Expertise on Boards of Publicly Traded Companies
Senate Bill 536 would require in public filings that publicly traded companies disclose people’s cybersecurity expertise and experience. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), and Susan Collins (R-Maine). Only disclosure is required—and there are no requirements to supply any board with cybersecurity expertise. Senator Reed said, “Investors and customers deserve a clear understanding of whether public companies are prioritizing cybersecurity and whether they have directors who can play an effective role in cyber-risk oversight.”
White House Budget Allocates $1.5 Billion to Federal Cybersecurity
In his budget, President Trump included $1.5 billion dedicated to cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security will receive this funding. According to The Hill, the budget “also calls for heightened cooperation between the government and the private sector on cybersecurity.” The budget also mentioned the cybersecurity of specific agencies including the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the United States Armed Forces.
“Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017” Introduced in the House
Representative John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) introduced a bill entitled the “Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017.” The bill states that “The [National Computer Forensics Institute] shall disseminate homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime and related threats, and educate, train, and equip State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.” Located in Hoover, Alabama, the National Computer Forensics Institute is a “federally funded training center dedicated to instructing state and local officials in digital evidence and cyber crime investigations.”
Comm Solutions Acquired by Optiv Security
End-to-end cyber security solution company Optiv Security recently acquired northeast security and networking technology company Comm Solutions. According to a press release, Optiv Security wanted to increase its “local and regional sales and services delivery capabilities in the northeast.” Comm Solutions will remain a standalone company until mid-2017 when integration between the two companies is expected to be complete. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.