Key cyber statutes at risk again as Congress works to avert shutdown

"The Cybersecurity Information-Sharing Act of 2015 allows companies to transmit threat intelligence to government analysts with legal exemptions in place. Cyber intelligence often includes sensitive information about victims and organizations impacted by hacks. The authority for that law recently expired during the 43-day government shutdown that occurred late last year. The continuing resolution that finally ended that shutdown and funded the government through Jan. 30 also extended the information sharing law's authorization for that same length of time."

"The funding extension timeline was also applied to the National Cybersecurity Protection System, an intrusion detection framework that monitors U.S. federal civilian network traffic for known threats, alerts agencies to potential cyberattacks and includes prevention and information-sharing capabilities to shield government IT infrastructure from hackers. Without legislative reauthorization, it too will lapse Friday night."

"The DHS package is the vehicle currently set to reauthorize the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which has infused state and local authorities with $1 billion to improve their cybersecurity posture. The federal government "shouldn't leave states holding the bag on bolstering cyber defenses," said Burris."

Key cybersecurity authorities face imminent lapse if the Department of Homeland Security funding bill is not reauthorized before Friday. The Cybersecurity Information-Sharing Act of 2015 permits companies to send threat intelligence to government analysts with legal exemptions, and such intelligence often contains sensitive victim and organizational data. That law's authority previously expired during a 43-day government shutdown and was temporarily extended by a continuing resolution through Jan. 30. The same temporary extension covered the National Cybersecurity Protection System, an intrusion-detection framework monitoring federal civilian networks. The DHS package also houses the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which has provided $1 billion to jurisdictions.

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