Georgia Governor Vetoes Cybercrime Bill on National Security Concerns

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) vetoed a cybercrime bill that he said raises national security concerns and “may inadvertently hinder the ability of government and private industries” to prevent online attacks. SB-315 would have made it a crime to knowingly and intentionally access a computer or network without authorization. “After careful review and consideration of this legislation, including feedback from other stakeholders, I have concluded more discussion is required before enacting this cyber security legislation,” Deal said Tuesday. Legislators should work with cybersecurity and law enforcement “to develop a comprehensive policy that promotes national security, protects online information” and advances Georgia technology, he said. “Victory!” declared Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Investigative Researcher Dave Maass. The bill “would have threatened independent research and empowered dangerous ‘hack back’ measures,” he blogged. Such a law could treat security researchers as criminals even if they have no criminal motives and intend to disclose security problems ethically, he said.