White House proposes cyber network security legislation

The White House has proposed cyber security legislation to protect the US government and private computer systems from millions of daily cyber attacks.

The proposal is aimed building a public/private partnership in securing critical infrastructure while protecting civil liberties and privacy, according to US reports.

The White House cyber security plan seeks to set up a framework that requires new oversight, including annual certification to ensure security technologies are used for their intended purpose and nothing more.

The proposed network security legislation would provide incentives for private companies that run critical infrastructure - such as power plants, water systems and financial systems - to ensure their computer systems are secure, according to the BBC.

The proposals seek to give the US Department of Homeland Security the authority to impose its own security on industry, to prevent espionage and other data theft.

The proposed legislation would empower the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop security systems for infrastructure providers if they fail to implement adequate measures of their own.

The US government hopes to get the legislation passed by the end of 2011, but critics say the proposals are too weak and lack a sense of urgency because checks would not be conducted immediately.

Various House and Senate committees have been working on cyber network security legislation for the past two years, waiting for the Obama administration to propose its own version.

But the House and Senate want the White House cyber co-ordinator Howard Schmidt to be subject to Senate confirmation, while the White House has rejected that idea.