Pending Law

Most of these bills were introduced in 2011. Proposed bills regarding cyber issues are likely going to increase as "cyberwar" becomes more salient and publicized. By reading pending legislation, one can see how their nation and personal lives may be affected.

One cybersecurity bill (S. 773) was proposed in 2010, but never made it to the Senate or House. (to view the bill go here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-773)

One reason why the bill was never considered could be that internet companies and civil liberty groups thought the bill gave too much power to the President. The First Amendment Center reported that S. 773 "appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency." (http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=21598)

Since the idea that cyber attacks can cause massive national damage is gaining momentum, being aware of what bills are being proposed is important to track potential threats to privacy and civil liberties.

• Gina Bacon (University of Utah)