Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act sails through Senate

The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) has been passed by the U.S. Senate in a 74 to 21 vote. The bill grants companies legal immunity when sharing threat data with the government, which has implications for healthcare data privacy and security. The bill will now be reconciled with a similar bill passed by the House and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama. The legislation establishes a voluntary information sharing system that would be managed by the Department of Homeland Security. Civil liberties groups and tech companies such as Apple and Twitter have opposed the bill, raising concerns about potential sharing of personally identifiable data with government agencies. However, healthcare groups have expressed support for the bill’s aim of strengthening cyber defenses in the face of growing cyber threats.