DOJ slams Senate cyber bill

Cyber reporting bill draws pushback

Senior officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) have knocked a Senate-passed cybersecurity bill as having “serious flaws,” criticizing it over a lack of direct reporting to the FBI.

The bill, the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act, unanimously passed in the Senate on Tuesday night. It would require companies in critical sectors to alert the government of potential hacks or ransomware.

The legislation would require cyber incidents to be reported to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), though Justice Department officials argue that agencies should also report to the FBI.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement first reported by Politico that the “bill as drafted leaves one of our best tools, the FBI, on the sidelines and makes us less safe at a time when we face unprecedented threats.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray also said in a statement to The Hill that while he applauds the intention of the legislation the bill “has some serious flaws.”