ZDNet reports on two competing cybersecurity bills aimed at reforming computer misuse laws. Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have introduced the draft Data Breach Notification and Punishing Cyber Criminals Act, which aims to punish cybercriminals who access data without authorization or commit identity theft. But it doesn’t differentiate between security researchers and hackers, the report states. It counters a bill introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY), aimed at better targeting serious criminals and curbing “overzealous prosecutions for non-malicious computer and Internet offenses.” It responds to the suicide of security researcher Aaron Swartz, who was told he’d face 35 years in prison under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
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