Washington players were quick to react Monday to President Obama's pre-State of the Union preview of new cybersecurity and privacy protections he talked about Monday at the Federal Trade Commission. Those included pushes for legislation to enshrine privacy protections in law.
“Consumers shouldn’t have to hold their breath and cross their fingers every time they swipe a card or enter information online," said House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee chairman Michael Burgess (R-Tex.) in a joint statement in response. "Cyber crime is a real and escalating concern for the American people, and recent high-profile security breaches have only reinforced the urgent need for congressional action. We welcome the president’s focus on this critical issue and look forward to working with the White House this year to enact meaningful legislation that will limit online threats and give consumers better peace of mind. E-commerce is a vital part of our economy, but it’s clear more must be done to protect information in today’s digital world. It’s only a matter of time before the next big breach hits, which is why one of the first items of business for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will be to advance a data breach bill.”
The President has been previewing issues he will talk about in his State of the Union address Jan. 20, including cybersecurity, an issue that has gotten a lot of attention in the wake of the Sony hack.
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