Why CISPA could kill the cloud

A close read of CISPA's broad language reveals that Joe Internet's privacy isn't all that would be in jeopardy if the bill makes it through the Senate and past President Obama's veto pen.

CISPA poses a threat to the privacy of entire organizations, from nonprofits and small business on up to the enterprise -- and even to the very future of cloud computing. Drawing from the bill's exact language, CISPA would permit "certified entities" and "cyber security providers" to "voluntarily" share any customer data with other certified entities, so long as the data constitutes "cyber threat intelligence" for "cyber security purposes" -- as well as for the sake of "national security." In a nutshell, the federal government and "certified entities" could freely pass around customer data in the name of security, without due process and without any fear of reprisal if their purported security fears turn out to be completely unwarranted. "Certified entities" can mean federal agencies, other public agencies, utilities, and private organizations. That's a potentially long, long list of whistleblowers.