Cybersecurity Bills Duel over Rules for Businesses

A look at the week of March 12 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, President Obama named Todd Park as the new federal chief technology officer.  Debate over competing cybersecurity bills in the Senate will focus on whether the issue is about national security or economic growth.  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) discusses his cybersecurity goals for his last Senate term with National Journal.

Obama Taps HHS Official to Be his Chief Technology Officer — President Obama appointed Todd Park as the administration's chief technology officer, reports The Hill. Park was formerly the chief technology officer for the Department Health and Human Services (HHS). He will be just the second person to serve as the U.S. chief technology officer, a position that Obama created on his first day as president. The CTO is responsible for promoting the use of technology to make the federal government more efficient and effective.

Cybersecurity Bills Duel over Rules for Businesses — A bipartisan Senate bill to bolster cybersecurity has sparked a competing proposal from Republicans wary of new regulations for businesses, a signal that burgeoning anti-government fervor has begun shaping national-security measures. The bills' future will likely depend on whether the debate is seen as one primarily about national security or economic growth, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Sen. Lieberman Speaks to National Journal about Cyber Legacy – After 24 years in Congress and a run as a vice presidential nominee, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will hang up his hat. But before he retires at the end of the year, Lieberman is leading the fight for broad legislation designed to protect U.S. Internet networks from cyberattacks. In an interview with the National Journal, Sen. Lieberman explains that cybersecurity is vital not only to America’s security but also to its economic strength.