White House Proposes Cybersecurity Plan

The White House released a blueprint that it hopes will guide Congress in their crafting of cybersecurity legislation.

"The proposed legislation is focused on improving cybersecurity for the American people, our Nation's critical infrastructure, and the Federal Government's own networks and computers," the White House said in a press release.

Here are the highlights of what the White House wants to do:

-- National Data Breach Reporting: The White House wants a uniform law that requires business to notify consumers when their data has been exposed in a breach. Right now, reports PC Magazine, 47 states have laws that require notification.

-- The White House also wants Congress to clear up the law regarding penalties for computer criminals. "For example, a key tool for fighting organized crime is the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)," the White House said. "Yet RICO does not apply to cyber crimes, despite the fact that cyber crime has become a big business for organized crime."

-- Perhaps one of the more interesting things in the proposal is that the White House wants for local government and industry to voluntarily ask for help when they have security issues. They also want local governments and industry to share "new types of computer viruses or other cyber threats or incidents" with the Federal Government. The proposal makes it clear that doing so is legal and provides them immunity if they do so.

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