[infowar.de] CYBER SECURITY BILL INTRODUCED

[Olivier Minkwitz <olivierm -! - fogis - de>]

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Die Wirtschaft auf Kosten des des FOIA ins Boot zu kriegen???
-olivier


CYBER SECURITY BILL INTRODUCED

A controversial bill intended to encourage private companies to share
information about computer security threats with the government was
re-introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.  "The Cyber
Security Information Act of 2001" is sponsored by Reps. Tom Davis and
Jim
Moran.

A major premise of the bill is that the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA)
discourages private industry from sharing information with the
government
because of a fear that sensitive or proprietary information will be
disclosed through a FOIA request.

"Companies are concerned that information voluntarily shared with the
government that reports on or concerns corporate security may be subject
to
FOIA," said Rep. Davis.  "Access to sensitive information may fall into
the
hands of terrorists, criminals, and other individuals and organizations
capable of exploiting vulnerabilities and harming the U.S."

Moreover, he warned, "Unfiltered, unmediated information may be
misinterpreted by the public and undermine public confidence in the
country's critical infrastructures."

There is no evidence that the FOIA, which has exemptions for proprietary

data, could be used to extract confidential business information.  Nor
is
there much reason to believe that companies would be eager to share
truly
sensitive information with the government, regardless of FOIA standards.

Nevertheless, the bill would create a new FOIA exemption for critical
infrastructure information.  There are already over 80 particular
exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act written into law, and the
vitality of the Act is threatened each year as Congress adds new limits
to
its reach.

Rep. Davis' floor July 10 floor statement introducing the Cyber Security

Information Act of 2001 may be found here:

        http://www.fas.org/sgp/congress/2001/h071001.html






Olivier Minkwitz________________________________________________
Research Assistant & Founder of FoGIS
Center on Transatlantic Foreign and Security Policy Studies
Office: Free University Berlin  Room# 103  Ihnestr. 22  14195 Berlin
Phone:  ++49 (0)30 838 56545
Fax:      ++49 (0)12 125 10791226
Mobile: ++49 (0)17 459 79165
www.fogis.de
olivierm -!
- fogis -
 de__________________________________________


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