Legislation may change the way government and the private sector collaborate on cybersecurity.

After years of vigorous debate and numerous false starts, in the closing hours of its 2015 session, the US Congress unceremoniously passed — and President Barack Obama signed — landmark cybersecurity information sharing legislation. The bill, the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 (the Act), first passed the House in April 2015 and later, in varied form, the Senate in October. A conference committee representing the intelligence and homeland security committees negotiated a consensus version of the legislation that was ultimately included as a rider on the omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016. While the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 is the result of many compromises and is based upon a voluntary sharing program, the result may nevertheless change the way government and the private sector collaborate on cybersecurity. The US Department of Homeland Security has commenced implementation of the information sharing provisions of the bill this month, so the time is right for businesses to consider the potential implications for their cybersecurity readiness.