OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY: Cyber pieces falling into place

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY, your daily rundown of the biggest news in the world of hacking and data privacy. We’re here to connect the dots as leaders in government, policy and industry wrap their arms around cyberthreats. What lies ahead for Congress, the administration and the latest company under siege? Whether you’re a consumer, a techie or a D.C. lifer, we’re here to give you …

THE BIG STORIES:

–A FINAL PUZZLE PIECE: The pieces are starting to fall in place. The House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday approved by unanimous voice vote a bill that gives companies liability protection when sharing cyber threat data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It was the third and final markup of the three cyber info-sharing bills lawmakers are hoping to pass, combine and get to President Obama’s desk by mid-May. The bills will start hitting the floor next week. To read our full piece, click here.

     –ONE TAKE: During the markup, committee members agreed to tack on language that prohibits any cyber threat data from being used for surveillance purposes, a key concern of privacy advocates. Still, it doesn’t look like the bill — which already has the support of many lawmakers and most industry groups — will get a full backing from the privacy community. Check out the Center for Democracy & Technology’s take here.

{mosads}–‘THESE FEARS ARE REAL’: U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker became the latest senior official to speak out against China’s looming cybersecurity guidelines, which would require companies operating within China to use Beijing-approved encryption and submit any source code for government inspection. Such rules will drive U.S. businesses away from the Chinese market, she said during a speech in China. “They fear that the rules favor indigenous companies or that their intellectual property is at risk, or they worry that regulations will change unfairly,” she said. “These fears are real, and as a result it’s a lose-lose situation.” To read our full piece, click here.

UPDATE ON CYBER POLICY:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said the upper chamber’s cybersecurity bill should hit the floor soon. It’s been a month since the Senate Intelligence Committee approved its cybersecurity bill, which would give companies legal liability protection when sharing cyber threat data with government agencies. To read our full story, click here.

LIGHTER CLICK:

He might be gone now, but Edward Snowden was at the White House this morning — at least according to Google Maps. A user with a sense of humor set up a fake business at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue called “Edwards Snow Den,” purportedly a snowboarding shop. The user even provided business hours and a phone number. The business is deleted now, but it did shed light on two other fake listings: a law firm named cCross at the White House and a business at the Treasury Department headquarters called “freddy fazbear pizza.” To read more, click here. 

A REPORT IN FOCUS:

The government has a long way to go if it wants to compete with the private sector for top cyber talent, the Partnership for Public Service said in a report on Tuesday. At a time of rising threats online, federal agencies are behind the curve on hiring cyber experts due to weak talent pipelines, strict hiring practices and non-competitive pay, the report found. The partnership urged the government to exempt all cyber job openings from competitive-hiring guidelines, increase workers’ pay and develop a comprehensive strategy for hiring cyber experts across all agencies. To read more, click here.

A LOOK AHEAD:

WEDNESDAY:

–The House Energy and Commerce Committee will complete its markup of a data breach notification standard bill.

–The Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on funding DHS’s role in cybersecurity. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Links from our blog, The Hill, and around the Web.

The military’s anti-hacking force won’t be ready until 2018. (Bloomberg)

Servers in the Veterans Affairs Departments were accessed by foreign contractors in China and India. (FedScoop)

Email phishing attacks take just minutes to hook recipients. (Wired)

The cyberattack on French TV network TV5Monde apparently began in January. (The Sun Daily)

A U.S. cyber reserve force is in the works, one Pentagon official told lawmakers. (NextGov)

Insurance companies are proving a source of wisdom on cybersecurity threats. (Wall Street Journal)

Nearly 30 million Americans had their personal health records exposed by data breaches between 2010 and 2013, according to a study published Tuesday. (The Verge)

Want to know how much data is collected about you online? Check out this frighteningly personal documentary. (Do Not Track / Motherboard)

We’ll be working to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s cybersecurity page early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or cyber news tips our way, via cbennett@digital-stage.thehill.com or eviebeck@digital-stage.thehill.com. And follow us at @cory_bennett and @eliseviebeck.

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