OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY: Dems oppose data breach bill

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY, your daily rundown of the biggest news in the world of hacking and data privacy. We’re here to connect the dots as leaders in government, policy and industry wrap their arms around cyberthreats. What lies ahead for Congress, the administration and the latest company under siege? Whether you’re a consumer, a techie or a D.C. lifer, we’re here to give you …

THE BIG STORIES:

–DATA BREACH BILL SURVIVES MARKUP: It was a chaotic two-plus hours at the House Energy and Commerce Committee as Republican members tried to advance a national data security and breach notification bill without controversy. The measure, which would preempt state data protection laws, emerged largely unscathed after Republicans beat back a series of Democratic amendments that would have fundamentally altered the bill’s approach. In the end, not a single Democrat supported the bill in the final committee vote, a blow to leaders who had touted the measure as bipartisan. Even the bill’s original Democratic co-sponsor Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted against the legislation. To read about the markup, click here.

     –BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Welch told reporters later in the day he thinks there’s a doable fix for the bill that would pull him and other Democrats on board. Lawmakers’ efforts are being held up over already existing healthcare data protection laws in eight states, including Texas and California, Welch explained. “I’m fully expecting that I’m going to be able to be an enthusiastic supporter because I’m confident we’ll be able to fix this healthcare situation,” he said. The bill could hit the floor as early as next week, during the House’s “cyber week.”

{mosads}–MARK YOUR CALENDARS: A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) network monitoring program will fully cover the federal government by the fall of 2016, an agency official told Congress on Wednesday. Known as the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program, the tool helps agencies identify malicious actors within their networks. Just over half of the government is already using this key security program, and the hope is the rest will be on board within the next 18 months. “Personnel is probably the biggest single holdup,” Andy Ozment, assistant secretary of the DHS Office of Cybersecurity and Communication, told lawmakers. To read our full piece, click here.

UPDATE ON CYBER POLICY:

Ozment also got in a plug for cybersecurity information-sharing legislation during Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing. The White House has been encouraging Congress to pass a bill that would give companies liability protection when sharing cyber threat data with the DHS.

The agency cannot properly help protect the country’s networks without Congress’s help, Ozment said. “We absolutely need legislation to provide liability protection to the private sector,” he told senators.

The Senate Intelligence Committee recently passed a bill that includes many aspects of the White House’s proposal. It’s expected to hit the floor soon.

LIGHTER CLICK:

It might not be subtle, but it’s amusing: the trade group NetChoice is promoting its list of the most “ugly” Internet laws under consideration around the country. The current “iAWFUL” ranking includes measures to open online accounts after a person’s death. NetChoice also opposes states’ rush to pass further data breach notification laws, arguing that rushed notices would hamper investigations and burden multi-state businesses. To read more, click here. 

REPORTS IN FOCUS:

–Investors worldwide say they would run away from putting money into businesses that have been hacked. Eighty percent of respondents to a survey from consultancy firm KPMG said they might blacklist a company that has been breached. The investors surveyed also had a bleak view of the cyber knowledge at companies in which they’ve invested. To read more, click here.

–Next time you use an electronic voting machine, you might want to ask whether the polling official has changed the password. A new report by the Virginia Information Technology Agency revealed that touchscreen voting machines used in many elections between 2002 and 2014 could be easily hacked from within half a mile using standard passwords. To read more, click here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web.

Law enforcement officials believe a right-wing group posted the personal addresses of FBI and DHS leaders online. (The Hill)

Why do companies keep losing the battle against hackers? (Bloomberg)

MSNBC’s Ari Melber goes behind the scenes to look at the FBI’s counter cyber operations in New York. (MSNBC)

The German government proposed new data retention guidelines, aiming to strike a compromise. (Wall Street Journal)

HBO is going after Periscope, the live-streaming app, after the leak of not-yet-aired Game of Thrones episodes. (Ars Technica)

The former head of MI5 warned banks about complacency about cyber threats. (Banking Technology)

The Internet of Things is a nightmare, argues one report. (CSO Online)

The personal information of 160,000 current and former students was exposed in a data breach at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. (MeTheNews)

ICYMI: Take a look inside Lockheed Martin’s cybersecurity facility. (FCW)

ICYMI: The United States and Ukraine top the list of cyber spying victims. (NextGov)

We’ll be working to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s cybersecurity page early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or cyber news tips our way, via cbennett@digital-staging.thehill.com or eviebeck@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @cory_bennett and @eliseviebeck.

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