U .S. Chamber Fourth Annual Cybersecurity Summit
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
“Fourth Annual Cybersecurity Summit”
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Key Topics & Takeaways
- Passing CISA: Sens. Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Burr (R-N.C.) noted the rumor that the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) will be on the Senate floor after the National Defense Authorization Act and upcoming Columbus Day recess.
- Personally Identifiable Information: Mayorkas stated that DHS is developing the capability to share information in “near real time” so that personally identifiable information (PII) can be “scrubbed.”
- Liability Protection: When asked about businesses not wanting to share information, Burr replied that CISA provides authority that “does not broadly exist in government today,” offering liability and anti-trust protection for companies that share information with the government.
- Enhancing National Security : Daniel explained that President Obama has noted that technologies powering “great good” have been used by adversaries to inflict “great harm,” and that CISA is a “critical piece” of enhancing the nation’s security.
Speakers
- Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, White House
- Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Vice Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The State of Cybersecurity – An Assessment from the White House
Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, White House
Michael Daniel stressed the need to understand the “true gravity” of cybersecurity challenges, as it is “one of the biggest challenges we will face in the 21st century.” He explained that President Barack Obama has noted that technologies powering “great good” have been used by adversaries to inflict “great harm,” and that the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) is a “critical piece” of enhancing the nation’s security. While the president supported bills that passed the House, Daniel continued, progress has stalled in the Senate and cyber criminals will not wait to steal information. He urged the Senate to pass legislation “without delay.”
Daniel noted that the Administration is working on three goals: 1) raising cyber defenses in the short and long term; 2) doing a better job of “deterring bad guys”; and 3) getting better at improving incident response and recovering from incidents. He noted that the Administration has created forums through which critical infrastructures can collaborate with the federal government by sharing information and is working to improve government information sharing to break down “silos.” Daniel explained that the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) will analyze and integrate information to make the federal government more effective in responding to cyber threats. He concluded that through collaboration with the private sector and international “boundaries,” the Internet and cyberspace can be a “much safer place to be.”
Keynote Remarks: Role of DHS in Cybersecurity
Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed that information sharing is one area the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cares about “so deeply.” He explained that information is shared between companies, with law enforcement, and with the civilian part of DHS. Mayorkas continued that the purpose of information sharing is “remediation,” guarding against repeat cyber attacks, “cleansing” systems and “patching” networks in order to develop a priority scheme when responding to incidents.
DHS should be the primary portal for receiving information, Mayorkas stated, and is developing the capability to share information in “near real time” so that personally identifiable information (PII) can be “scrubbed.” He noted the “guard” against information exposure is the concern over liability and assured that CISA has liability protection for those who share information with the government, adding his hope that the legislation will pass the Senate.
Getting CISA Passed This Year: A Q&A with Senators Burr and Feinstein
Matthew Eggers, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, stressed that CISA is a “limited, voluntary bill” and that if companies choose to share information with other companies or the federal government, they will be protected with liability immunity. She continued that the bill prevents the transmission of PII as much as possible and is as good for a small company as it is for a large company.
When asked about businesses not wanting to share information, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, replied that the bill provides authority that “does not broadly exist in government today,” offering liability and anti-trust protection for companies that share information with the government. Feinstein noted that the bill requires companies to exercise due diligence to remove PII and that when it comes to concerns from privacy groups, “you can’t satisfy people no matter what you do.”
Referring to amendments they would consider, Burr stated that he and Feinstein would ask colleagues to vote against amendments that delay the bill but will consider those that strengthen the legislation. Feinstein continued that they hope to negotiate with members to see if acceptable amendments can be part of a manager’s package to help pass the bill. Burr explained that there is nothing he or Feinstein would change in the bill, as “when you get outside the lanes, it changes the impact of the legislation,” noting that possible amendments must “stay within the established lanes.”
Both Feinstein and Burr noted the rumor that CISA will be on the Senate floor after the National Defense Authorization Act and upcoming Columbus Day recess. Burr and Feinstein stated that due to the differences in the House and Senate bills, there must be a conference and the timing may be impacted by the changes in House leadership.
Additional Panels and Discussions
- Security and Energy Sector Cyber Resiliency
- Managing Cybersecurity in the C-Suite
- Combating Cyber Threats to U.S. National Security
- The International Dynamic: Global Approaches to Cybersecurity Policy, Partnerships, and Innovation
- Sharing Cyber Threat Information to Protect Business and America
- Strengthening Cybersecurity Together: Sector Cooperation, Interdependencies, and Challenges
For more information on this event, please click here.
,Blog Tags:,Blog Categories:,Blog TrackBack:,Blog Pingback:No,Hearing Summaries Issues:General,Hearing Summaries Agency:Special Event,Publish Year:2015
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
“Fourth Annual Cybersecurity Summit”
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Key Topics & Takeaways
- Passing CISA: Sens. Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Burr (R-N.C.) noted the rumor that the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) will be on the Senate floor after the National Defense Authorization Act and upcoming Columbus Day recess.
- Personally Identifiable Information: Mayorkas stated that DHS is developing the capability to share information in “near real time” so that personally identifiable information (PII) can be “scrubbed.”
- Liability Protection: When asked about businesses not wanting to share information, Burr replied that CISA provides authority that “does not broadly exist in government today,” offering liability and anti-trust protection for companies that share information with the government.
- Enhancing National Security : Daniel explained that President Obama has noted that technologies powering “great good” have been used by adversaries to inflict “great harm,” and that CISA is a “critical piece” of enhancing the nation’s security.
Speakers
- Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, White House
- Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Vice Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
The State of Cybersecurity – An Assessment from the White House
Michael Daniel, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, White House
Michael Daniel stressed the need to understand the “true gravity” of cybersecurity challenges, as it is “one of the biggest challenges we will face in the 21st century.” He explained that President Barack Obama has noted that technologies powering “great good” have been used by adversaries to inflict “great harm,” and that the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) is a “critical piece” of enhancing the nation’s security. While the president supported bills that passed the House, Daniel continued, progress has stalled in the Senate and cyber criminals will not wait to steal information. He urged the Senate to pass legislation “without delay.”
Daniel noted that the Administration is working on three goals: 1) raising cyber defenses in the short and long term; 2) doing a better job of “deterring bad guys”; and 3) getting better at improving incident response and recovering from incidents. He noted that the Administration has created forums through which critical infrastructures can collaborate with the federal government by sharing information and is working to improve government information sharing to break down “silos.” Daniel explained that the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC) will analyze and integrate information to make the federal government more effective in responding to cyber threats. He concluded that through collaboration with the private sector and international “boundaries,” the Internet and cyberspace can be a “much safer place to be.”
Keynote Remarks: Role of DHS in Cybersecurity
Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed that information sharing is one area the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cares about “so deeply.” He explained that information is shared between companies, with law enforcement, and with the civilian part of DHS. Mayorkas continued that the purpose of information sharing is “remediation,” guarding against repeat cyber attacks, “cleansing” systems and “patching” networks in order to develop a priority scheme when responding to incidents.
DHS should be the primary portal for receiving information, Mayorkas stated, and is developing the capability to share information in “near real time” so that personally identifiable information (PII) can be “scrubbed.” He noted the “guard” against information exposure is the concern over liability and assured that CISA has liability protection for those who share information with the government, adding his hope that the legislation will pass the Senate.
Getting CISA Passed This Year: A Q&A with Senators Burr and Feinstein
Matthew Eggers, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, stressed that CISA is a “limited, voluntary bill” and that if companies choose to share information with other companies or the federal government, they will be protected with liability immunity. She continued that the bill prevents the transmission of PII as much as possible and is as good for a small company as it is for a large company.
When asked about businesses not wanting to share information, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, replied that the bill provides authority that “does not broadly exist in government today,” offering liability and anti-trust protection for companies that share information with the government. Feinstein noted that the bill requires companies to exercise due diligence to remove PII and that when it comes to concerns from privacy groups, “you can’t satisfy people no matter what you do.”
Referring to amendments they would consider, Burr stated that he and Feinstein would ask colleagues to vote against amendments that delay the bill but will consider those that strengthen the legislation. Feinstein continued that they hope to negotiate with members to see if acceptable amendments can be part of a manager’s package to help pass the bill. Burr explained that there is nothing he or Feinstein would change in the bill, as “when you get outside the lanes, it changes the impact of the legislation,” noting that possible amendments must “stay within the established lanes.”
Both Feinstein and Burr noted the rumor that CISA will be on the Senate floor after the National Defense Authorization Act and upcoming Columbus Day recess. Burr and Feinstein stated that due to the differences in the House and Senate bills, there must be a conference and the timing may be impacted by the changes in House leadership.
Additional Panels and Discussions
- Security and Energy Sector Cyber Resiliency
- Managing Cybersecurity in the C-Suite
- Combating Cyber Threats to U.S. National Security
- The International Dynamic: Global Approaches to Cybersecurity Policy, Partnerships, and Innovation
- Sharing Cyber Threat Information to Protect Business and America
- Strengthening Cybersecurity Together: Sector Cooperation, Interdependencies, and Challenges
For more information on this event, please click here.