Mandatory Cyber Reporting Within 24 Hours: Sen. Warner Bill - Breaking Defense Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary
WASHINGTON: Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has released a draft of his long-awaited mandatory cyber incident reporting bill. It requires certain entities to report hacks within 24 hours of their discovery.
The bill is remarkable as one of the first attempts to create a federal law mandating cyber incident reporting by some entities to the government. Reporting has historically been largely voluntary, with a few exceptions. There’s currently a hodgepodge of data breach notification laws, mostly at the state level, that require reporting certain cyber incidents, but those tend to hinge on whether US citizens’ personally identifiable information (e.g., Social Security numbers) is stolen.
Warner’s bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio, ranking member on the Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins, who is a member of the Intelligence and Appropriations Committees.
Warner’s bill arrives as cyberattacks, especially ransomware, are increasingly viewed by the government as a national security threat.
