Cybersecurity Act to Protect U.S. Infrastructure

The bill calls on the Department of Homeland Security to assess and strengthen cyber defenses at power companies and water utilities to prevent catastrophic outages.

"The prospect of mass casualty is what has propelled us to make cybersecurity a top priority for this year, to make it an issue that transcends political parties or ideology", said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W. Va.), co-author of the bill.

The Cybersecurity Act enjoys broad support, but some politicians suggest it should be even stronger.

The bill now covers only industries whose collapse at the hands of hackers would cause "an extraordinary number of fatalities" and "severe degradation" of national security.

"So an individual infrastructure owner, such as a rural electricity provider, has no responsibility under this title if it can show that an undefended cyber attack would only cause an ordinary number of fatalities?" asked Stewart Baker, a former DHS employee. "How many dead Americans is that, exactly?"

Baker's observation suggests the bill will need revisions before appearing for a vote, but the Cybersecurity Act is an initial attempt to address the need for infrastructure protection.

Among those calling for stronger U.S. cyber security measures is Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who says the the federal government does not yet have a "decisive" stance on cyber-terrorism.

Gingrich's stance may sway others in his party to take infrastructure protection more seriously, putting this issue in the national spotlight as the November 2012 elections approach.

Either way, the U.S. power grid is in dire need of protection, according to MIT, which says six million miles of electrical lines are vulnerable to cyber attacks. MIT researchers argue for one government agency to shield the power grid, but many argue over the proper means to ensure the grid's safety.

For example, the Obama administration proposes the Department of Homeland Security handle power grid cybersecurity, while Congress says the Energy Department should stop hackers from attacking the U.S.'s electricity resources.

Last year's attacks on governmental defense contractor Lockheed Martin and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's nuclear research facility also highlight the weaknesses in nuclear power plant defenses.

Since cyber criminals will soon pose a greater threat than traditional terrorists, according to the FBI, the Cybersecurity Act may be a good starting point to secure U.S. infrastructure from targeted attacks.