S. 773, Cybersecurity Act of 2009

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009, S. 773, was introduced by John Rockefeller of West Virginia under the guise of improving security of critical technical systems within government and private sectors.

The bill usurps and centralizes more power to the Executive branch in the following ways:

• The bill empowers the President to declare a cyber security emergency and take control of any so-called "critical infrastructure" within the private sector.


• In such an "emergency" the President can also order companies to disclose private information, regardless of privacy laws like the Wiretap Act or the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.


• The bill creates a federal certification program for cybersecurity professionals. This certification would be mandatory for certain systems and networks within the private sector.

Status as of September 7, 2009: Three Cosponsors; in Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Related Links:

• Obama's Latest Cyber Space Power Grab
• Cybersecurity Act of 2009: What You Should Know