Senate cybersecurity bill would let firms appeal Homeland Security regulations

Critics say allowing Department of Homeland Security to determine requirements in consultation with the private sector could water down security provisions.

The leadership of the Senate Homeland Security Committee will introduce a comprehensive cybersecurity bill on Feb 14 that would allow firms to appeal whether new security regulations should apply to their sector. The legislation would task the Department of Homeland Security with determining which sectors of the economy would be covered by new cybersecurity regulations, after risk assessments in consultation with the private sector, the intelligence community and others. But designated sectors would have the right to appeal whether the regulations apply to them. Several groups representing portions of the private sector considered part of the critical infrastructure have expressed concern about the impact of the regulations on both security and the bottom line.