String of major cybersecurity breaches builds momentum for government action

Cybersecurity experts have warned the government for years about the increasing threat that attacks from criminals and foreign states post to the nation's economic and physical security. But it has taken a series of high-profile breaches in recent years to build enough momentum to cut through the legislative stalemate.

The release of the first detailed legislative guidance on the topic from the White House is another sign that comprehensive cybersecurity legislation may finally pass Congress this session after years of inactivity. Both the Senate and the House have shown a willingness to cooperate on legislation, though there is a healthy debate over how much authority the government should have to regulate security standards for private sector firms, particularly those deemed "critical infrastructure" and therefore crucial to national security. On one thing most experts are in agreement: whatever we're doing now isn't working.