SIIA Applauds Progress of Senate Cybersecurity Legislation
For Immediate Release
SIIA Communications Contact: Laura Greenback, 410.533.1943,
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PR Contact: Beth Dozier, Rational 360, 202-429-1833,
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SIIA Applauds Progress of Senate Cybersecurity Legislation
President Ken Wasch Urges Swift, Bipartisan Support for Legislation that Advances Critical Priorities & Enhances U.S. Cybersecurity Preparedness; Says Heavy Regulatory Approach Would be Harmful
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 14, 2012) – Ken Wasch, president of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), issued the following statement commending Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and other Senators for their continued efforts to craft cybersecurity legislation that will help the public and private sectors work together to more effectively mitigate cybersecurity threats:
“With cyber threats more sophisticated and targeted than ever, and growing at an unprecedented rate, now is the time to act on critical cybersecurity legislative priorities. We are pleased to see that Sens. Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller and Feinstein have made significant progress in striking a balance between preserving innovation and identifying and regulating critical infrastructure.
“SIIA continues to believe that cybersecurity legislation could potentially do more harm than good if not done carefully. A regulatory approach would not necessarily make organizations more secure, just more compliant. It is imperative that Congress preserves the ability of technology companies to quickly develop and deploy technology that can detect, prevent and mitigate cybersecurity threats.
“We urge swift, bipartisan support for legislation that advances critical cybersecurity priorities and immediately enhances our preparedness. As we identified in a recent letter to Sen. Reid, there are multiple cybersecurity objectives that enjoy strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate, such as enhancing information-sharing between the public and private sectors, reforming FISMA, encouraging increased cybersecurity research and ensuring that law enforcement has the adequate tools and criminal penalties for to protect against cybercrimes.
“SIIA is committed to the goal of enacting legislation that will establish a meaningful national framework for data security and for breach notification, and we look forward to continuing to work with Congressional leaders to reach consensus.”
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 500 leading software and information companies. For more information, visit www.siia.net.