Classified meeting stresses urgency of cybersecurity legislation

The Obama Administration sat down with a bipartisan group of prominent Senators in hopes of kick-starting the debate over comprehensive cybersecurity legislation. Several Senators acknowledged taking part in the classified briefing, which was requested by the Obama Administration and included representatives from the White House, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency and Pentagon as well as the bipartisan leadership of the Committees with jurisdiction over cybersecurity. All three Senators interviewed said there was widespread agreement on the urgent need to pass a bill that would clarify how much authority the government has to require private sector firms deemed critical infrastructure, such as utilities and financial institutions, to beef up their network protections.