Compliance Management, Government Regulations, Vulnerability Management

Bill introduced, bans government mandates to build weaknesses into technologies

Seeking to prohibit federal agencies from mandating that backdoors and other security vulnerabilities be built into U.S. software and electronics, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Secure Data Act on Thursday.

Inserting weaknesses into technologies for the purposes of surveillance could facilitate government investigations, but it also compromises national security, economic security and personal privacy, according to a Thursday release.

“This bill sends a message to leaders of those [intelligence] agencies to stop recklessly pushing for new ways to vacuum up Americans' private information, and instead put that effort into rebuilding public trust,” Wyden said in the release, explaining strong encryption and security keeps Americans safe from foreign threats.

Wyden said that strengthening security will not only assist in rebuilding consumer trust, but it is also the best way to protect constitutional rights.

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