By Tim Shoemaker

As a brief follow-up to Adam's post earlier this week, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs passed the "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010", S.3480 by voice vote.  The bill grants the authority to the President to declare a national "cyber emergency".

A website called Govinfosecurity.com wrote:

Under the amended bill, a national cyber emergency could last for up to 30 days, and the president could renew it up to three times. It could only be renewed beyond 120 days with the approval of Congress. The bill limits the presidential action to only the most critical IT systems.

Senator Susan Collins had this to say:

The fact is: We cannot fail to act. We can't wait until there is a cyber 9/11 and say, ‘Why didn't we act? We knew this was coming.' The attacks are ongoing even as we meet. So we must act, and I believe we have drafted a responsible bill to do so. [emphasis added]

A cyber 9/11?  Really, Senator?  (I think someone watched "Live Free or Die Hard" too many times...)