Measure would force White House, private sector to collaborate in cyber-crisis

The Cybersecurity Act, drafted by Senate commerce committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and committee member Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), is an attempt to prod the Obama administration and Congress to be more aggressive in crafting a coordinated national strategy for dealing with cyberthreats.

It is to be unveiled today (March 17). The legislation would require the White House to collaborate with the private sector in any response to a crisis affecting the nation's critical computer networks. The senators also sponsored the National Cybersecurity Advisor Act, which would create a Senate-confirmed, Cabinet-level position to lead efforts to protect the nation's computer systems, elevating the role of the cyber coordinator's job that President Obama filled late last year. That bill is pending in the Senate.