Security experts mixed on revised Cybersecurity bill

Security experts have mixed reviews on whether the revised version of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) cybersecurity bill will better protect the nation's water systems, power grid and other critical infrastructure from cyberattacks after a key provision was modified.

"Let's not pretend we're making the nation more secure with this legislation. It won't make the slightest bit of difference," said Jim Lewis, director of the technology and public policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He added that while the bill doesn't move the ball backward on cybersecurity, it would maintain the status quo. Tom Kellermann, vice president of cybersecurity at Trend Micro, argued that the bill is still a good piece of legislation. Congress is also running out of time to act, so making some concessions to the bill is a better alternative than passing no bill at all, he said. Former DHS official Stewart Baker made a similar assessment. "The watered down security standards are still much better than nothing, and so I hope they do the trick," Baker, a partner at Steptoe Johnson, said.