Cyber Threat Sharing Bill Would Protect Private Companies - Capstone Brokerage

Cyber Sharing Risk

By: Mark Hoffman (Business Insurance) February 2015

A bill introduced in the Senate would provide private companies with a degree of protection against liability when sharing information on cyber threats with federal agencies.

“One of our top priorities in Congress must be to promote the sharing of cyber threat data among the private sector and the federal government to defend against cyber attacks and encourage better coordination,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said Wednesday in statement announcing introduction of the bill.

The bill — the Cyber Threat Sharing Act of 2015, S. 456 — would grant liability protections to companies for sharing cyber threat data with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and information-sharing and analysis organizations that have self-certified that they follow best practices for the operation of such organizations.

“It ensures that strong privacy policies exist within the federal government for cyber threat sharing, and that liability protections for sharing with the federal government are only granted for sharing with a civilian agency and only once appropriate privacy policies are in place,” Sen. Carper’s office said in a description of the bill.

Sen. Carper announced his introduction of the bill Wednesday during an address to the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers legislative conference in Washington.

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