US businesses are in an unfair fight against cyberthreats

[Commentary] I was disappointed that an Oct. 14 Post editorial argued that American companies and critical infrastructure operators must cope alone with serious cyberthreats. Most American companies work hard to secure their networks, but US companies are targeted daily by nation-state actors such as China and Iran. That’s not a fair fight.

The threat is serious. Rampant cyber economic espionage from China, Iran and other countries is eroding US prosperity. And many of the same vulnerabilities used to steal trade secrets can expose critical infrastructure on which our nation depends. Congress must act, and we must not let a misguided leaker dissuade us from doing our jobs. But the federal government lacks clear legal authority to widely share information about cyberthreats with private companies. Congress must provide that authority and should allow more voluntary, anonymous sharing from the private sector to the government. The law should also allow better sharing of cyberthreat information within the private sector, so US companies have the information to defend against cyberattacks.

[Rep Mike Rogers (R-MI) is chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]