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Cybersecurity at the forefront of political debate

Amid growing concerns about national computer security, the House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a bill which is generating controversy about the government's role in digital safety.

The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 288 to 127, enables private firms to voluntarily share information with the government in the event of a virtual threat. Advocates of this measure argue that by sharing cyberattack information, private companies will be able to better protect their digital information and avoid large-scale computer security breaches like the one perpetrated on South Korea in March. 

"CISPA recognizes that you can't have true security without privacy, and you can't have privacy without security," said Dutch Ruppersberger, who co-sponsored the bill with fellow congressman Mike Rogers. Many tech giants, including Google and Facebook, are in favor of the bill - Joel Kaplan, Facebook's U.S. vice president of public policy, summed up his position in an open letter to Rogers, writing that the bill "removes burdensome rules that currently can inhibit protection of the cyber ecosystem." 

CISPA's detractors argue that it may have a negative impact on users' security by removing obstacles to governmental access of users' information. These opponents include President Barack Obama, who issued an administrative statement that challenged vague language in the bill and threatened to veto, as well as many activists on social media. Private firms can help bridge the gap by promoting measures which take the strongest stance against virtual attacks.

What the sides do agree on is the importance of paying attention to changes in the definitions and limits of internet security, and recognizing the need for measures that will effectively keep data safe in transit. Protect company data with an SSL certificate today.

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