Romm, Tony. "Senate Cybersecurity Board Still Missing in Action." Politico, July 31, 2012.
From the article: "A federal board tasked in the Senate’s cybersecurity bill with ensuring government agencies and tech companies don’t infringe on consumer privacy has been dormant and understaffed for years — and hasn’t had a nominee confirmed since 2007.
As members of Congress consider a new law that would help them exchange data about emerging digital threats, they’ve envisioned that the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board would make sure consumers aren’t harmed and that their data isn’t caught in the fray.
But the PCLOB — created by Congress to protect citizens amid the post-Sept. 11 crackdown on terrorists — has long been paralyzed. It’s possible the Senate could confirm its nominees en bloc before the chamber enters the August recess, but the inaction so far has privacy advocates concerned that a cybersecurity bill could reach the president without a watchdog fully in place." Read more
From the article: "A federal board tasked in the Senate’s cybersecurity bill with ensuring government agencies and tech companies don’t infringe on consumer privacy has been dormant and understaffed for years — and hasn’t had a nominee confirmed since 2007.
As members of Congress consider a new law that would help them exchange data about emerging digital threats, they’ve envisioned that the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board would make sure consumers aren’t harmed and that their data isn’t caught in the fray.
But the PCLOB — created by Congress to protect citizens amid the post-Sept. 11 crackdown on terrorists — has long been paralyzed. It’s possible the Senate could confirm its nominees en bloc before the chamber enters the August recess, but the inaction so far has privacy advocates concerned that a cybersecurity bill could reach the president without a watchdog fully in place." Read more
