21 May 1999

    To: cypherpunks@toad.com, cryptography@c2.net, jya@pipeline.com
    Subject: House revising Computer Security Act (NIST/NSA law)
    Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 13:23:08 -0700
    From: John Gilmore <gnu@toad.com>

    Forwarded-by: Henry Schwan <owlswan@eff.org>
    Forwarded-by: cult hero <jericho@dimensional.com>
    Forwarded From: William Knowles <erehwon@kizmiaz.dis.org>

    http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/0517/web-security-5-20-99.html

    House panel aims to bolster security law

    (Federal Computer Week) [5.20.99] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House Science
    Committee plans to make another push to update a 1989 law that requires
    civilian agencies to take measures to protect their computer systems,
    according to Rep. Constance Morella (R-Md.), chairwoman of the Technology
    Subcommittee of the House Science Committee.

    The new bill, which could be introduced as early as next week, would
    revamp the 10-year-old Computer Security Act.  The bill will closely
    resemble the Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997, which the House
    passed only to have it die in the Senate last year, said Morella, speaking
    at a symposium sponsored by the SmartCard Forum.

    Like the 1997 bill, the proposed legislation would tap the National
    Institute of Standards and Technology as the lead agency for information
    security. The preceding bill also would have required NIST to promote
    federal use of commercial off-the-shelf products for civilian security
    needs.

    The committee first began its effort to revamp the existing law to reflect
    the proliferation of network technology that has left agency data more
    vulnerable to corruption and theft, Morella said in 1997.