May 2, 2013
Vol. 17, Issue 4
ACM Washington Update
CONTENTS:
ACM Washington Update recaps ACM’s initiatives in the technology policy arena monthly. Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues in the computing community. View more details on each item below, as well as on the USACM weblog. You can follow USACM on Twitter and on Facebook.
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USACM encourages the National Institute of Standards and Technology to include flexibility in the proposed cybersecurity framework it is responsible for developing
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The House held a 'cyber week' in mid-April with a number of hearings and votes on cybersecurity legislation
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Congressional Hearings in April were not limited to cybersecurity and addressed several computing-related topics
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USACM comments on ways to improve quality of software-related patents
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As part of the President's Executive Order on Cybersecurity, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to develop a Cybersecurity Framework that addresses cyber risks through standards, methodologies, procedures, and processes that align policy, business, and technological approaches.
USACM submitted comments focused on effective privacy controls and the fluidity of cybersecurity in response to the NIST request for this Framework.
USACM advocated the application of Fair Information Practice Principles to help protect privacy, and strengthen systems reliability and security. Coupled with effective access controls and data minimization, these practices can help preserve legal limits on the access to the information shared under the Executive Order. Making sure only relevant cybersecurity threat information is shared, and only for cybersecurity purposes, can make data management easier and reduce the risk of unintended and/or inappropriate information disclosure.
NIST will host a series of workshops this summer, beginning in late May at Carnegie Mellon University, as part of a very public review and comment process for this issue. The Framework is scheduled to be released in draft form late this year.
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A throng of techies, many carrying an array of digital devices and looking for power outlets, swarmed Capitol Hill in mid-April for the so-called "cyber week" in the U.S. House of Representatives. The focus was on four House bills related to fostering cloud computing research, strengthening computer science education, promoting greater participation by women and minorities in the computing field, and improving cybersecurity practices within government and in collaboration with private industry.
House Floor Votes
* Federal Efforts to Foster Research, Education, and Workforce Diversity
USACM, in a joint letter with CRA, IEEE-CS, and SIAM to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, endorsed the following bills:
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013, H.R. 756 (passed 402-16) to reauthorize the National Science Foundation (NSF) cybersecurity research grant program for basic research for enhancing computer and network hardware and software, human-computer interactions, usability, identity management, and detection, investigation, and prosecution of cyber-crimes.
Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, H.R. 967 (passed 406-11) requires the NITRD program to provide for expanded research on cyber-physical systems, human-computer interactions, visualization, and big data.
* Federal Efforts to Strengthen Information Security at Federal Agencies
Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2013, H.R. 1163 (passed 416-0) requires federal agencies to have agency-wide information security plans with policies, procedures, and practices approved by the Office of Management and Budget.
* Public-Private Information Sharing Efforts to Combat Intellectual Property Theft
A USACM statement expressed concern with the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), H.R. 624 (passed 288-127), which would make it easier to share information between the government and companies. The need for sharing information to combat intellectual property theft was a dominant theme of comments from House Select Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus Co-Chair Jim Langevin (D-RI).
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* Intellectual Property
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet held a hearing on "Abusive Patent Litigation: The Issues Impacting American Competitiveness and Job Creation at the International Trade Commission and Beyond."
* Internet Governance
In a show of bipartisan cooperation, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 1580 on internet governance. The bill omitted controversial language that could have precluded the FCC's authority to regulate internet-related issues and the government's ability to address cybersecurity and online IP infringement.
* Internet Taxation
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) introduced the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, S.743 to restore States' sovereign rights to enforce State and local sales and use tax laws.
* High-End Computing Research
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced the ExaSCALE Computing Leadership Act, S.733, to improve the Department of Energy's high-end computing research and development program. It calls for supporting high performance computing and research on "exascale" performance.
USACM submitted comments to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for recommendations on how the USPTO and the software community might "enhance the quality of software-related patents."
USACM encouraged further exploration on:
- How to find and assess relevant prior art beyond U.S. patents and U.S. patent publications
- Additional approaches to improve reviews of the technical merits asserted in software patent applications
- Opportunities, challenges, and constraints of potential automated approaches to patent examination and validation
- Supplemental training needs of examiners in software-related topics
About Washington Update -- ACM Washington Update is produced by ACM's Office of Public Policy in Washington DC. It highlights activities of the U.S. Public Policy Council of ACM (USACM), ACM's Education Policy Committee (EPC) and other events in Washington that affect the computing community.
About USACM -- The U.S. Public Policy Council of ACM (USACM) is the focal point for ACM's interaction with U.S. government organizations, the computing community, and the U.S. public in all matters of U.S. public policy related to information technology.
About EPC -- The Education Policy Committee engages policymakers and the public on public policy issues in science and math education that relate to computing and computer science. It focuses on initiatives to ensure that computer science education is identified as a critical component of education policy in the U.S. at both federal and state levels.
Views expressed are not necessarily those of ACM. To send comments, please write to acmpo@hq.acm.org.
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