TechFreedom Leader Endorses Patch Act on Vulnerabilities Equities Process

TechFreedom Executive Director Austin Carson endorsed the Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking Act. HR-2481/S-1157 would codify the vulnerabilities equities process (VEP) for government stockpiling and disclosing software and hardware vulnerabilities and make it transparent and accountable. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, led sponsorship of the bill last week, after the WannaCry ransomware attacks (see 1705120055, 1705150008 and 1705170025). “Codifying the VEP process and adding oversight mechanisms will put the VEP on solid footing, removing the threat of policy changes at the whims of the executive branch and giving Congress the chance to more fully evaluate the tradeoffs,” Carson and TechFreedom Legal Fellow Ashkhen Kazaryan blogged. “In this era where cyber attacks are edging ever-closer to becoming cyber wars, the United States government should lead the way in balancing the interests at stake and addressing the cybersecurity concerns directly within its control.”