A group of US senators has revived stalled cybersecurity legislation by offering compromises to address civil liberties concerns, an effort speedily endorsed by President Barack Obama.

The new bill drew some support from Republican lawmakers amid a drive to pass legislation ahead of the summer recess, but prospects for passage had been unclear.

Lawmakers said they hope to bring the measure to the Senate floor in the upcoming week.

The bill aims to identify so-called “critical infrastructure,” such as electric power and utility pc networks, and give oversight to make certain these are secure from attacks.

The revised measure removed some parts of a bill passed in April in the House of Representatives that provoked controversy.

It calls for a National Cybersecurity Council to assess vulnerabilities and would produce a voluntary system of reporting attacks that could be damaging to the nation.

In announcing the compromise, Senator Jay Rockefeller called it “a important first step in our country’s response” to cybersecurity.

“We are moving forward in the spirit of compromise with an incentives-based voluntary approach because it is a essential matter of public safety and national security that we do one thing now to ensure our most vital infrastructure is protected from cyber attacks,” mentioned Rockefeller, a Democrat who heads the Senate Commerce Committee.

Sources and more information:

• Lieberman Revises Cybersecurity Bill Seeking Senate Support – Bloomberg

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