• Reuters, Thursday, October 6, 2011 1:12 PM

A Republican task force in the U.S. House of Representatives appears to be challenging the scope of a Democratic-backed cybersecurity bill. The bill -- the drafting of which is being overseen by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid's office -- is aimed at combating breaches and theft from company and government computer networks.

Headed by Rep. Mac Thornberry, the Republicans say Congress should give companies incentives to bolster their cyber defenses, but they advocate a "more piecemeal strategy to avoid unintended consequences," as Reuters reports. "We think that it is very important that you get the details right," Thornberry says. With the exception of critical facilities like nuclear power and utilities, the Republicans also appear to be skeptical of government regulation's ability to sufficiently strengthen cyber defenses.
,br>

"Congress should consider carefully targeted directives for limited regulation of particular critical infrastructures," the Republican's report explains.

Read the whole story at Reuters »