The House is set to consider a cybersecurity bill at the end of April allowing the government and private sector organizations to share potential threat information, Reuters reports.
In a news conference Tuesday, Mike Rogers (R- Mich.) and C.A. ‘Dutch’ Ruppersberger (D- Md.) indicated they aim to expand the pilot program that allows the government and contractors to share classified information about potential threats.
The bill would expand that program from defense contractors and their Internet providers to a broader spectrum in the private sector.
Private companies would only provide information in regard to cyber threats to the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Reuters notes the bill does not include the National Security Agency.
Private companies would only share malicious software code information and not content so that bad code can be caught before it gets into the network, Rogers said.
Both Rogers and Ruppersberger said they want bill language that would bar the government from using shared information for any other means, the report said.
The House and Senate are considering additional cyber infrastructure bills. The Senate was considering a bill that put DHS in charge of assessing risks and vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure, while another bill would require DHS to regulate cybersecurity over companies that run computer systems critical to national security.
The House was also considering a bill that updates the Federal Information Security Management Act in order to improve cybersecurity measures.
