The chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., has outlined five provisions he wants to form the basis of cyber-security legislation he plans to introduce later this year, along with ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine.
If Lieberman gets his wish, included in the bill would be a provisions creating a Senate-confirmed, cyber-security coordinator in the White House.
The bill would include authority and personnel for DHS to monitor the federal civilian networks.
It would also establish a mandatory risk-based approach – developed by DHS – to securing critical infrastructure, including financial systems, electric power, and mass transit, and voluntary guidance for less critical companies, put in place new acquisition policies to tighten the security of government systems, and address challenges in hiring, retaining, and training cyber security personnel in the federal government.