Cyber legislation recently drafted by the Senate Intelligence Committee could free companies to share information on threats without getting sued.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the intelligence committee, and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) introduced a 39-page draft that removes the threat of lawsuit for companies that share data with the federal government or other entities to prevent or aid in the investigation of a cyber crime.
Industry leaders and privacy advocates have been at odds over immunity legislation with privacy groups concerned that consumer data could be misused by government entities.
Congress has tried to create similar legislation, but bills have collapsed during the legislative process. The House last year passed the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act to implement cyber intelligence sharing protocols between the government and private sector, but the Senate declined to act.
