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CSIA Testifies Before House Subcommittee to Advocate for Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security at DHS
Wednesday April 20, 4:25 pm ET
- Executive Director Paul Kurtz Outlines Critical Cyber Security Priorities for Department of Homeland Security


WASHINGTON, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the only CEO-led public policy and advocacy group exclusively focused on cyber security policy issues, testified today before the House Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity to support the rapid passage of HR 285, which would create an Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security in the Department of Homeland Security. CSIA executive director, Paul Kurtz, testified on behalf of both the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, as well as members of the Business Software Alliance. Both organizations strongly support the appointment of an Assistant Secretary to help the federal government take a more comprehensive approach to cyber security protection.

Last December, CSIA released its agenda for the administration that outlined twelve steps to help build a more secure critical infrastructure. This report also called for an Assistant Secretary level post in the Department of Homeland Security.

"We are seeing increased threats and vulnerabilities associated with our information infrastructure. We rely upon our information infrastructure, yet there is no one clearly in charge of coordinating its security and reliability. The Department's responsibilities to identify critical information infrastructure, develop emergency communications, contingency and reconstitution plans are compelling, yet the leadership is not," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of Cyber Security Industry Alliance. "CSIA believes the Department of Homeland Security must be the focal point for the prevention, response and recovery from cyber security incidents that have a debilitating impact on our national and economic security. While the private sector has a critical role to play in the protection of critical information infrastructure, DHS provides the main point of coordination for all of our efforts."

Kurtz's testimony focused on outlining key responsibilities of DHS in the area of cyber security, recapping the current framework for securing cyber space through the President's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7 and the National Response Plan's Cyber Incident Annex.

As part of his testimony, Kurtz also highlighted the importance of integrating cyber and physical infrastructure protection. As proposed in HR 285, CSIA believes it is appropriate to have an Assistant Security for Cyber Security working along side an assistant secretary responsible for securing the physical infrastructure under the leadership of an Under Secretary.

"We strongly support HR 285 in creating a more senior position at DHS to lead efforts to build a more secure information infrastructure for both the government and private sector."

To request a copy of the complete testimony, please contact Michelle Schafer at 703-390-1530 or [e-mail]

About BSA

The Business Software Alliance (http://www.bsa.org ) is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. BSA is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members represent one of the fastest growing industries in the world. BSA programs foster technology innovation through education and policy initiatives that promote copyright protection, cyber security, trade and e-commerce. BSA members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland, Cadence Design Systems, Cisco Systems, CNC Software/Mastercam, Dell, Entrust, HP, IBM, Intel, Internet Security Systems, Macromedia, McAfee, Microsoft, PTC, RSA Security, SAP, SolidWorks, Sybase, Symantec, UGS and VERITAS Software.

About CSIA

Launched in February 2004 by a group of cyber security software, hardware and services companies, the CSIA is an advocacy group whose mission is to enhance cyber security through public policy initiatives, public sector partnerships, corporate outreach, academic programs, alignment behind emerging industry technology standards and public education. The CSIA is the only CEO public policy and advocacy group comprised exclusively of security software, hardware and service vendors that is addressing key cyber security issues.

Members of the CSIA include BindView Corp. (Nasdaq: BVEW - News); Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP - News); Citadel Security Software Inc. (Nasdaq: CDSS - News); Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTXS - News); Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA - News); Entrust, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTU - News); Internet Security Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ISSX - News); iPass Inc. (Nasdaq: IPAS - News); Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR - News); McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE - News); PGP Corporation; Qualys, Inc.; RSA Security Inc. (Nasdaq: RSAS - News); Secure Computing Corporation (Nasdaq: SCUR - News), Symantec Corporation (Nasdaq: SYMC - News) and TechGuard Security, LLC.

To learn more about the CSIA, please visit our Web site at http://www.csialliance.org or call [phone].

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Midas