Norma Krayem is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office.

Conducts CISA Implementation Progress and Assessment of DHS-DOT Guidance; Senate Creates New Cybersecurity Caucus

On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, the House Homeland Security held a hearing to hear from the private sector on the status of implementation of the new cyber information-sharing law. Chairman McCaul (R-TX) and Chairman Ratcliffe (R-TX) presided over the hearing to "examine industry perspectives and the recommended path forward for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in their implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015" along with "...the possibilities for future growth and improvement in the DHS cyber mission." Witnesses represented the spectrum of the private sector including financial services, communications, information technology and broad-based private sector issues, including Mr. Mark Clancy, CEO of Soltra; Mr. Matthew J. Eggers, Executive Director Cybersecurity Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Robert H. Mayer, Vice President, United States Telecom Association; Mr. Mordecai Rosen, General Manager, Security Business Unit, CA Technologies and Ms. Ola Sage, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, e-management. The morning of the hearing, DHS-Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its final guidance on Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS), a core component of the CISA law. The key update included clarification that CISA includes protections for private-to-private sharing as well as for sharing directly through the DHS portal.

Last week the Senate also announced the creation of a new Cybersecurity Caucus led by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO). Senator Warner has been actively working with Chairman McCaul to introduce legislation to create a National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges. Senator Gardner is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy and is the co-author of a recently passed law, the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2015, focusing a number of issues, including cybersecurity concerns related to North Korea.  The timing coincides with a recent announcement from NATO that cybersecurity is its own operational domain, which is part of the NATO collective defense. The House has had a Cybersecurity Caucus for some time, which is Co-Chaired by Congressman Langevin (D-RI) and Chairman McCaul (R-TX.)  

This morning, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee continues the focus with a Field Hearing on "Federal Efforts to Improve Cybersecurity."  

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