From: The Washington Post/Editorial
By Editorial Board
SIX YEARS AGO, the federal government’s classified computer networks were infiltrated by a tiny bit of malware. A massive operation known as Buckshot Yankee was carried out to clean the networks of the intruder, and the event helped spur the creation of U.S. Cyber Command, which is now growing rapidly. The government has put cyberthreats at the top of its national security threat matrix.
But one of the debates that began then remains unresolved: How to protect large and vulnerable private-sector networks? Not all the answers can be found in government, but on actions that do require legislation, this session of Congress and the one before it have come to an impasse. It is time for the lame-duck session, or the new one convening in January, to take the bipartisan path forward that a number of legislators have laid out.
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While we share some of the concerns about privacy issues, they shouldn’t be allowed to hold up cybersecurity legislation. A new law won’t eradicate the threat but is better than the inaction of the past four years. Doing nothing means leaving the door open to those who intend to disrupt, steal and spy in cyberspace.
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