Obama resurrects cyberthreat-sharing proposal despite privacy concerns
The centerpiece of President Barack Obama's new cybersecurity proposal is a controversial plan that would allow companies to share more cyberthreat information with government agencies, something that worries some privacy advocates.
The Obama administration on Tuesday resurrected its May 2011 proposal to give private organizations immunity from lawsuits when they share information about cyberattacks with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. Congress failed to pass the 2011 proposal in part because digital rights groups raised concerns that it would intrude on the privacy of U.S. residents.
Obama's new proposal, which he will outline further in his State of the Union speech next Tuesday, would encourage private companies to share cyberthreat information with DHS, which would then disseminate the information to other federal agencies and private industry groups.
