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The measure would have given the President emergency powers to seize private online networks.
Sec. Napolitano Testifies on New Cybersecurity Bill



Washington, DC
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Sec. Napolitano Testifies on New Cybersecurity Bill

Washington, DC
Thursday, February 16, 2012

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is back on Capitol Hill for a hearing on the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. A day after she defended her department's FY2013 Budget to the House Homeland Security Cmte., the Secretary appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Gov't. Affairs Cmte.

The bipartisan Cybersecurity Act, introduced this week by Senators Lieberman (I-CT), Rockefeller (D-WV), Feinstein (D-CA) and Collins (R-ME), requires DHS to identify critical infrastructure and forces private companies to protect sensitive networks vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Fox News reports that the bill does not contain a "kill switch" that Republican senators objected to. The measure would have given the President emergency powers to seize private online networks.

The bill also requires the State Department to identify cyber threats and reward foreign aid to cooperative governments while issuing sanctions against those governments that do nothing to stop cyber attacks.

Sec. Napolitano Testifies on New Cybersecurity Bill | C-SPAN