Congressman MIKE ROGERS | Representing Michigan’s 8th Congressional District

Washington, Mar 29, 2012 - The Rogers-Ruppersberger Cyber Security Bill continues to gather broad based bipartisan support.  Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger today announced that over 100 Members of Congress are supporting the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (H.R. 3523), which helps protect American businesses and jobs.

The 105 co-sponsors of the bill include 10 committee chairmen.  Additionally, a wide range of major industry and cyber associations, such as Facebook, Microsoft, the US Chamber Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the Internet Security Alliance, TechAmerica, and many others have sent letters of support for the bill.  A list of major industry and association supporters can be found at http://intelligence.house.gov/bill/cyber-intelligence-sharing-and-protection-act-2011

The bipartisan Rogers-Ruppersberger bill helps the private sector defend itself from advanced cyber threats, without imposing any new federal regulations or unfunded private sector mandates, and contains protections for privacy and civil liberties.  This approach not only creates new private sector jobs for cybersecurity professionals, but it also protects the thousands of jobs created by the American intellectual property that Chinese hackers are trying to steal every day.

“Every day U.S. businesses are targeted by nation-state actors like China for cyber exploitation and theft,” Rogers said.  “This consistent and extensive cyber looting results in huge losses of valuable intellectual property, sensitive information, and American jobs.  The broad base of support for this bill shows that Congress recognizes the urgent need to help our private sector better defend itself from these insidious attacks,” he said.

Many of the same vulnerabilities used to steal intellectual property can also be used to attack the critical infrastructure we depend on every day.

“Without important, immediate changes to American cybersecurity policy, I believe our country will continue to be at risk for a catastrophic attack to our nation’s vital networks - networks that power our homes, provide our clean water or maintain the other critical services we use every day.  This small but important piece of legislation is a decisive first step to tackle the cyber threats we face,” said Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.

The bill passed the House Intelligence Committee on December 1, 2011 with a bipartisan vote of 17-1.  The next step for the bill is the House Floor.