House approves second cybersecurity bill

The House approved a second cybersecurity bill, the Federal Information Security Amendments Act (HR 4257).

The bill is aimed at updating the federal government's responsibility to manage its information systems so as to best thwart cyber threats. But according to Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), the current law on the books, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), is not enough. The bill was approved by unanimous consent after being brought up under a suspension of House rules. Suspension bills are usually non-controversial, and must pass by a two-thirds majority vote.