Better Cybersecurity: Working Together and Sharing Information

It seems logical that a good way to prevent cyberattacks is to share information about the tactics of cybercriminals.  If potential victims band together to fight cybercrime, there should be a better chance of thwarting it.  That’s the idea behind a new law that encourages businesses to share information about cyberthreats with the federal government.

TECHPol has been following the various Cyber Information Sharing Acts that have been moving through Congress.  (See blogs: Lawmakers Take a Step Forward to Fight Cybercrime and What are Lawmakers Doing to Thwart Cybercrime.)  In December, during the end-of-the-year legislative push, Congress attached a negotiated final version of the legislation to the budget bill, which the President signed into law.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2015 will:

1) Establish a voluntary process for businesses to share information about cyberthreats with the federal government.

2) Provide liability protection to businesses that share cyberthreat information.

3) Establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the agency to act as the portal for cyberthreat information that businesses wish to share.

4) Protect privacy by requiring the removal of personally identifiable information unrelated to the cyberthreats before information is shared, including a second scrub by DHS.

If this law works as envisioned, we all will have more information on how to defend ourselves against the latest threats.

In the meantime, there are several things businesses can do to prevent a cyberattack catastrophe.  Focus Data Solutions has released a guide for small and medium-sized businesses on how to protect their systems and valuable data. You can find it on our website, or by clicking on the button above. We hope you’ll find it of assistance, and in the spirit of working together, share with others who might benefit.