Administration pushes against bipartisan House cybersecurity legislation

The White House issued a statement criticizing a House cybersecurity bill after top administration officials briefed lawmakers on the threat of cyber attacks.

In a statement, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said any cybersecurity legislation should include strong privacy protections and should set mandatory security standards for critical infrastructure systems, such as electrical grids and water supplies. "The nation’s critical infrastructure cyber vulnerabilities will not be addressed by information sharing alone," Hayden said. "Also, while information sharing legislation is an essential component of comprehensive legislation to address critical infrastructure risks, information sharing provisions must include robust safeguards to preserve the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens. Legislation without new authorities to address our nation’s critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, or legislation that would sacrifice the privacy of our citizens in the name of security, will not meet our nation's urgent needs," she said, without explicitly mentioning CISPA.

The House is set to vote on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) next week.