Cybersecurity and US legislative efforts to address cybercrime

Deficiencies in cybersecurity may be the greatest national security threat facing the US in the 21st century. Public and private sector organizations as well as individuals are vulnerable, and the nation's critical infrastructures are also put at risk by these deficiencies. Security professionals, designers, and engineers are currently faced with the challenge of securing cyberspace. Essential to this effort is the necessity to ensure that the nation's laws are adequate to protect against, prevent, and deter cyberattacks. In this article we present a comprehensive review of current US laws and regulations that are being used to deter cybercrime activities and support cybersecurity. We describe legislation presented in the 112th Congress aimed at strengthening laws in fighting cybercrimes and ensuring a high level of cybersecurity, and we briefly review legislative efforts being undertaken in other countries. Finally, we discuss some future issues to be addressed in the growing area of cyberlaw.