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Breaking News - Security:

BSA Task Force Unveils Info. Security Governance Framework

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) Information Security Governance Task Force announced a management framework that the private sector can implement to address the growing need for cyber security and existing regulatory requirements. The task force, co-chaired by Entrust Chairman, President and CEO Bill Conner and Internet Security Systems Inc (ISS) President and CEO Thomas Noonan, was created to elevate information security governance issues to the higher management level within companies and organizations.

The framework was presented in a white paper released during the BSA's annual CEO Forum held today in Washington, D.C., which included meetings with administration and congressional leaders. As part of these visits, the task force provided copies of the white paper entitled "Information Security Governance: Toward a Framework for Action."

Findings of the study include:

  • Government has already established a significant legislative and regulatory environment around IT security, and is considering additional action.
  • Information security is often treated solely as a technology issue, when it should also be treated as a governance issue.
  • There is already broad consensus on the actions necessary to remedy the problem.
  • Lack of progress is due in part to the absence of a governance framework.

"Information security is a critical and growing issue. According to Carnegie Mellon University's CERT Coordination Center, the number of reported cyber security incidents has doubled every year since 2000," said Holleyman. "We in industry have long been focused on working with governments to combat these growing crimes. With this task force, we hope to build upon those efforts and provide a framework that helps companies and organizations effectively secure their networks."

"Information security is not just a technical issue that can be addressed by the CIO. It is a corporate governance issue that must be addressed by CEOs and Boards of Directors," said Conner. "Industry must recognize the reality of existing government regulations and establish information security governance programs if we are to make real progress. The goal of this framework is to provide a preliminary roadmap for this effort."

"Industry needs to take responsibility for its information security practices and the Task Force is designed to encourage that progress," said Noonan. "If industry does not take a leadership role on the implementation of security best practices, we will find ourselves at the mercy of reactive regulation. We look forward to continuing our work with the BSA and industry partners to effectively guide the private sector toward better security."

The BSA Information Security Governance Task Force member companies involved in the development of this white paper include: Autodesk, Cisco, Entrust, Intel, Internet Security Systems, Intuit, Microsoft, Network Associates, Novell and Symantec.

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