House Passes Bill On Cybersecurity

The House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation last week designed to thwart cyberattacks by encouraging private companies to share information about the attackers’ methods with each other and the federal government. Lawmakers voted 307-116 to approve the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (H.R. 1560), which was approved last month by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. “The increasing pace and scope of cyberattacks cannot be ignored,” said Rep. Devin G. Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the intelligence committee. The chemical industry has not endorsed any specific bill but has called on Congress to pass strong cybersecurity information-sharing legislation. “Cybersecurity is a critical issue for our industry as generators of highly valuable intellectual property,” says Lawrence D. Sloan, CEO of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates, an industry trade group. Recent corporate data breaches, he notes, have reaffirmed the need for a concentrated effort to enhance cybersecurity measures.