The new bill would mandate a review when a government agency discovers a security hole in a computer product and does not want to alert the manufacturer because it hopes to use the flaw to spy on rivals. It also calls for the review process to be chaired by the defense-oriented Department of Homeland Security rather than the NSA, which spends 90 percent of its budget on offensive capabilities and spying. “Striking the balance between US national security and general cyber security is critical, but it’s not easy,” said Senator Schatz in a statement. Microsoft President Brad Smith harshly criticized government practices on security flaws in the wake of the ransomware attacks. Agencies like the NSA often have greater incentives to exploit any security holes they find for spying, instead of helping companies protect customers, cyber security experts say.

Source: bd News24 May 17, 2017 22:41 UTC