Inside the beltway and around the nation this week there has been zero escape from prognostications on what a Trump administration means for every issue imaginable. So, we’ll pile on…what about cyber? Well, we, at The Council, expect cybersecurity to be a significant issue. That statement seems obvious but the Republican platform actually includes a section advocating for “a free market for cyber insurance and makes clear that users have a self-defense right to deal with hackers as they see fit.” While the latter part has many nervous, we could see cybersecurity (and insurance) garner more oxygen than expected in the first 100 days (especially given the highly publicized hackings ahead of the election). On the surface, the President-elect’s cybersecurity stance doesn’t seem to vary much from President Obama’s policies. However, his pro-national security and law enforcement approach to cybersecurity is different and Trump will have to delicately balance between business interests and national security.
As we look to our parochial areas of interest, we are well positioned to effectively represent Council members as things heat up on the hill in 2017. Sen. John Thune is a major cyber player as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and we look forward to continuing to work with him on issues stemming from critical infrastructure cybersecurity. The Council supports a single standard for breach notification, and we believe good legislative opportunities will develop there. Lots to unfold so stay tuned. We will skip next week because of the holiday but will be back after. On behalf of The Council, we wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.