By Dietrich Knauth (July 18, 2014, 8:05 PM EDT) -- Fast-tracked cybersecurity reforms in the 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act have forced intelligence community contractors to move quickly to comply with new requirements for rapid responses to cyberattacks on classified networks.

The 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act, signed into law July 7, gives the government 90 days to publish and implement new policies requiring intelligence agency contractors to quickly report and respond to cyberattacks. The new rules will require contractors to swiftly report breaches and allow government investigation of equipment and networks that were subject to attack.

Although contractors can't know exactly how the director of National Intelligence will implement the new legislation,...