Vital cyber data-sharing law appears likely to expire amid looming government shutdown

"The 2015 Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act lets private sector providers transmit cyber threat intelligence with government partners with key legal protections in place. As of now, companies are essentially shielded from lawsuits and regulatory penalties when circulating threat data. But the law is set to lapse Sept. 30 unless renewed by Congress. For months, industry leaders and senior administration officials have pressed for renewal. Congress remains at an impasse."

"Last week, House appropriators unveiled a temporary funding plan that would keep the law alive through Nov. 21 and fund the government until the same date. That would have given Congress simultaneous time to work out broader federal funding snags and reconcile any debate about changes needed for the cyber law that was first enacted 10 years ago. But that continuing resolution failed to pass in the Senate."

A longstanding cyber information-sharing statute enacted in 2015 provides legal liability protections to private companies that share cyber threat intelligence with government partners. The statute is scheduled to expire Sept. 30 unless Congress acts, raising the prospect that a simultaneous government shutdown could hinder timely information exchanges. House appropriators proposed a continuing resolution to extend the law through Nov. 21, but the Senate did not approve that measure. Senate Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul offered a shorter extension that would limit liability protections, but his proposal lacked sufficient support and its markup was canceled. CISA expressed uncertainty about that proposal.

Read at Nextgov.com