<nettime> FC: New bill would keep company secrets, create FOIA exemption

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

     [orig to <politech@vorlon.mit.edu>]

*********

>Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 16:03:29 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Kevin L. Poulsen" <klp@securityfocus.com>
>To: declan@well.com
>Subject: Cyberterror Bill Keeps Company Secrets (fwd)
>
>
>http://www.securityfocus.com/news/17
>
>Cyberterror Bill Keeps Company Secrets
>
>The "Cyber Security Information Act," to be announced Wednesday,
>would keep vulnerability information away from the public.
>
>By Kevin Poulsen
>April 11, 2000 3:27 PM PST
>
>Sensitive information about computer network vulnerabilities and
>intrusions transferred from the private sector to the federal government
>would be shielded from public disclosure, under a bill set to be announced
>Wednesday by Representatives Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.).
>
>The proposed legislation would carve out a new exemption to the Freedom of
>Information Act (FOIA), a law used primarily by journalists which allows a
>certain degree of public access to government files.
>
>Companies have cited FOIA as a roadblock to the public-private
>partnership envisioned by President Clinton's cyberterrorism policy. The
>Administration has long pushed for the creation of an Information Sharing
>and Analysis Center (ISAC) which would act as a central repository for
>cyberthreat data, both among companies, and between corporations and
>the government. But the private sector has proven reluctant to give
>agencies potentially sensitive and embarrassing information that could be
>accessible to the public through FOIA.
>
>An advanced draft of the proposed "Cyber Security Information Act"
>obtained by SecurityFocus.com would allow federal agencies to
>specifically designate requests for information as FOIA exempt. Anything
>obtained in response to such a request would be kept confidential, and
>"may not be used by any Federal entity, agency or authority or by any
>third party, directly or indirectly, in any civil action."
>
>...




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