OVERNIGHT CYBERSECURITY: Cyber bill by Easter?

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 cyber threats. 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 CYBER BILL BY EASTER?: If the Senate Intelligence Committee has its way, this year’s version of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) will hit the floor before the April recess. Although many are skeptical. The bill hasn’t even been introduced yet, and the committee is still working through White House privacy objections that have already delayed the measure a couple weeks. But the committee remains committed to getting the bill marked up within the next two weeks, and perhaps even as early as Tuesday, several sources said. To read our full piece, click here.

{mosads}–SECURING CLINTON’S ‘HOMEBREW’: Questions are swirling about the security of the “homebrew” email service that Hillary Clinton used while serving as secretary of State. Security experts have been alarmed by the arrangement, warning it likely left critical national secrets vulnerable to hackers and spies. “It’s irresponsible for the top U.S. diplomat to be putting communications at risk in that way,” said Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). We’ll tackle a few of the major questions people are asking to determine how secure Clinton’s private email was: What type of encryption was Clinton using? How did her email security compare to the State Department’s? Did foreign countries know about Clinton’s set up? Check TheHill.com in the morning for our full piece. 

–LAW FIRMS TO SHARE THREAT INFO: It’s official: starting this year, the world’s top law firms will begin sharing information about cyber threats. The new forum, an offshoot of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, is expected to have between six and 12 members when it launches in late spring. Five firms have already said they will join. To read our full piece, click here.

PERSONNEL MOVE:

–FIERCE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS has hired Tyler Stephens, a former senior policy advisor with the Senate Intelligence Committee, to assist its cyber clients. Stephens worked for the committee starting in March 2011, and before that, served for nearly four years as a legislative assistant for former Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.). He started with the firm this month.

LIGHTER CLICKS:

–THE REVIEWS ARE IN: “I tried every possible way to get out of writing about ‘CSI: Cyber.’ ‘Oh, just round up the dumbest things,’ my bosses said. ‘It’s all dumb things,’ I pleaded, but they were unmoved. The dumbest things, the dumbest things.”

–KIDS ARE HACKING AND GOOP IS ON IT: Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle newsletter GOOP recommended a series of “toys for young hackers” in its latest edition. The devices, aimed at kids as young as four, teach kids coding and allow them to build rudimentary computers. Sign us up.

A REPORT IN FOCUS:

C-SUITE UPS CYBER SPENDING: A majority of chief financial officers (CFO) for technology companies are increasing spending on cybersecurity measures in response to rising threats from hackers, according to a new survey. Sixty-seven out of 100 CFOs interviewed by accounting firm BDO USA said they’ve increased cyber spending in the last 12 months. Of that group, 90 percent implemented new software and 72 percent created a post-breach response plan. Roughly half hired outside experts to consult on security, while about one in three hired a chief security officer. To read our full piece, click here.

A LOOK AHEAD:

–FRIDAY: Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and White House aide Ari Schwartz, who works on cybersecurity privacy and civil liberties issues, are scheduled to talk cyber at a USTelecom conference beginning at 9 a.m.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

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

Security researchers are challenging the idea that North Korea planted the malware on its official news site. (The Hill)

The Pentagon is going to start considering cybersecurity during the process of acquiring weapons. (The Hill)

A former spy has infiltrated Congress’s cyber policy debate. (Christian Science Monitor)

Did Apple cave to pressure from China on backdoors? (Newsweek)

A Brazilian company is developing a hack-proof smartphone. (Sputnik News)

How long should companies wait to disclose data breaches? (The Legal Intelligencer)

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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