ISSX Internet Security Systems

'Worst Hack Ever' Foreshadows Unpleasant Digital Future if Laws Don't Adapt ARLINGTON, Va., March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA) today urged Congress to redouble efforts to pass data breach legislation as well as an international cybercrime convention, in the wake of a widespread and growing international rash of compromised debit card and PIN numbers that one analyst has called "the worst hack ever." "An incident of this magnitude should provide the jolt Congress needs to set aside committee jurisdictional disputes and make it a real priority to pass legislation that not only standardizes consumer notification but also provides incentives to help improve security," said CSIA Executive Director Paul Kurtz. "The debit card scam that has hit several major banks provides an example of how computer crime has changed over the past few years, and a glimpse into an unpleasant future if we don't strengthen our laws and their enforcement." "First, it appears that this was perpetrated by organized criminals seeking to steal money anonymously, rather than by individual hackers looking to make trouble for the sake of bragging rights. Second, the bad guys here are operating in multiple countries, making it much more difficult for law enforcement agencies to pursue those outside the U.S." "America's consumers, already buffeted by the threat of identity theft, are now confronted with the reality that even personal identification numbers won't protect them or their bank accounts," Kurtz said. "If we are to avoid losing ground in the digital revolution because people don't feel they can trust the Internet, we must establish national standards for reporting data breaches and protecting sensitive personal information, as well as create strong incentives for corporate best practices to help prevent breaches in the first place." "In addition, to deal with criminals for whom national borders are virtually irrelevant, we must work more closely with our allies in prosecuting them. At a minimum, that means the Senate should ratify the Convention on Cybercrime, adopted through the Council of Europe, which the Bush Administration signed in 2001 and has been approved by the Committee on Foreign Relations, but has been held back by anonymous 'holds' for unclear reasons. If the cops have to stop at the border and the criminals don't, the result is not hard to predict." The Cyber Security Industry Alliance is the only advocacy group exclusively dedicated to ensuring the privacy, reliability and integrity of information systems through public policy, technology, education and awareness. Led by CEOs from the world's top security providers, CSIA believes a comprehensive approach to information system security is vital to the stability of the global economy. Visit our web site at http://www.csialliance.org/. Members of the CSIA include Application Security, Inc.; CA, Inc. (NYSE:CA); Citadel Security Software Inc. (NASDAQ:CDSS); Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS); Entrust, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTU); Internet Security Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ISSX); iPass Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAS); Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:JNPR); McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE); PGP Corporation; Qualys, Inc.; RSA Security Inc. (NASDAQ:RSAS); Secure Computing Corporation (NASDAQ:SCUR), Surety, Inc.; Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC), TechGuard Security, LLC, Visa International and Vontu, Inc. DATASOURCE: Cyber Security Industry Alliance CONTACT: Scot Montrey, Communications Director of Cyber Security Industry Alliance, +1-703-894-3022, Web site: http://www.csialliance.org/

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