McCain Calls For Cyber Security Panel

Reuters reports:

Republican Senator John McCain called on Wednesday for the creation of a bipartisan panel to draft long-sought legislation to combat data breaches and espionage aimed at U.S. companies and defense networks.

"The only way to move comprehensive cyber security legislation forward swiftly is to have committee chairmen and ranking members step away from preserving their own committees' jurisdiction ... (and) develop a bill that serves the national security needs of all Americans," McCain wrote.

Lawmakers have considered several cybersecurity bills in recent years, but failed to pass any.

But the question of how to fight cyber crime and espionage has taken on new urgency in the past year with a spate of high-profile and, sometimes, sophisticated attacks.

McCain said the serious threat of cyber incursions into U.S. networks and companies by foreign governments and organized crime created a need for quick action.