Cybersecurity Gets Hot On The Hill

On February 25, David Bodenheimer of Crowell & Moring testified at a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on private sector views on DoD information technology and cybersecurity initiatives, where he underscored the importance of real public-private partnerships because "the Defense Department and industry will either succeed together -- or fail separately." In his testimony, he also emphasized the private sector's need for (1) liability protection similar to the SAFETY Act coverage for contractors supporting DoD cyber initiatives; (2) effective, two-way information sharing between DoD and the private sector; (3) dispute resolution mechanisms to assure prompt due process before DoD pulls the plug on a contractor's connection to the information network; and (4) clear, firm, and consistent cybersecurity standards so that contractors do not face a kaleidoscope of conflicting requirements.