The US House of Representatives has approved the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA, H.R. 624), which would amend the National Security Act of 1947 by adding a new section titled “Cyber Threat Intelligence and Information Sharing”.

As Duane Morris reports, that section provides that the Director of National Intelligence is to establish procedures to allow elements of the intelligence community to share cyber threat intelligence with security-cleared private entities and utilities.

Information that is shared is to be exempt under the Freedom of Information Act. CISPA also provides that the Director of National Intelligence shall establish policies and procedures that, among other things, “minimize the impact on privacy and civil liberties” and “protect the confidentiality of cyber threat information associated with specific persons to the greatest extent practicable”.