Key cyber statutes at risk again as Congress works to avert shutdown

Key cybersecurity authorities are facing imminent lapse should the government shut down after Friday. Both statutes are tied to a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, which has stalled in Congress amid the ICE killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota last week.

The Cybersecurity Information-Sharing Act of 2015 allows companies to transmit threat intelligence to government analysts with legal exemptions in place. Cyber intelligence often includes sensitive information about victims and organizations impacted by hacks.

The authority for that law recently expired during the 43-day government shutdown that occurred late last year. The continuing resolution that finally ended that shutdown and funded the government through Jan. 30 also extended the information sharing law’s authorization for that same length of time.

“Generally, [CISA 2015] enables timely sharing of cyber threat information,” said Jordan Burris, a former chief of staff in White House Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer and ...