President Issues Executive Order to Improve Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure; Members of Congress Reintroduce Bi-Partisan Cybersecurity Legislation

On February 12, 2013, in response to "the rapidly growing threat from cyber-attacks" the United States faces and with Congress thus far unable to enact comprehensive cybersecurity legislation, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13636, titled "Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity" (the Order). As President Obama explained in his State of the Union Address, the Order seeks to "strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our privacy." The Order envisions the development of a "Cybersecurity Framework" consisting of standards and best practices that the private sector may adopt to reduce cyber risks.