GISRA update

The recently passed Senate e-government bill would permanently reauthorize the Government Information Security Reform Act, which provides a management framework for protecting the security of government computers. GISRA requires agencies to assess the security of their IT systems and include risk assessments and security needs in budget requests.

In the House, legislation to reauthorize GISRA is progressing outside the framework of e-gov legislation. H.R. 3844, the Federal Information Security Management Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., has been redrafted as an amendment to House legislation that would establish the Department of Homeland Security, according to David Marin, legislative director and spokesman for Davis.

In addition to reauthorizing GISRA, the Davis bill would beef up the measure by eliminating waivers to its requirements.

H.R. 2435, the Cyber Security Information Act, also sponsored by Davis, has also been redrafted as an amendment to the homeland security department legislation, Marin said. The bill would make it easier for government and industry to share information about security breaches by allowing an exemption from disclosure under Freedom of Information Act requests.