Timely Broadband Breakfast Panel to Take Place on the Eve of FCC Chairman’s Cybersecurity Address

WASHINGTON February 20, 2012.  Broadband Breakfast will host its February Breakfast Panel, Cybersecurity Legislation in Congress: Where Does it Stand?, the day before FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski delivers his remarks on cybersecurity at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Broadband Breakfast’s panel will focus on the efforts to move cybersecurity on the Hill after years and years of continuous calls for more discussion and vetting.

February really is turning out to be Cybersecurity Month in Washington, as multiple major cybersecurity legislative endeavors, with broad and deep implications for shoring up the US infrastructure, make their way through the house and senate. The question is, are all involved participants ready to actually move forward on this? And if so, will Congress be able to achieve sweeping cybersecurity legislation before the presidential election?

Examples of such bills include:

• The House Homeland Security Committee marking up the “Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Effectiveness Act (PRECISE) which tackles multiple cybersecurity issues and creates a new information sharing organization, NISO.
• Energy and Commerce hearings in anticipation of the “Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011” which addresses information sharing.
• The “Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2011”, which addresses cybersecurity R&D, and passed through the Science and Technology Committee last year.
• On the Senate side, a comprehensive bill taking on FISMA reform, governmental authorities, critical infrastructure protection, R&D information sharing, data breaches and miscellaneous provisions, is expected to make an appearance.

The Keynote Speaker for Tuesday morning’s panel is Ari Schwartz, Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary, Internet Policy Task Force, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Esteemed Panelists include:

Larry Clinton, President, Internet Security Alliance

Tommy Ross, Senior Intelligence Defense Advisor, Senator Harry Reid

Nick Rossi, Minority Staff Director, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee

The Broadband Breakfast begins at 8:00am at  Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001