FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Linda Rozett
David Felipe

U.S. Chamber, Cyber Security Partnership Report Lays Out Blueprint
for Improvements to Critical Infrastructure

Group to Launch Website on Cyber Security Issues
Teleconference Press Availability
Thursday, March 18 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
< 703-788-0600, participant code: 165839# >

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 18, 2004 – A new report released by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Cyber Security Partnership – a coalition of business and technology groups – outlined new strategies for improving cyber security within the nation’s business community and unveiled a guidebook specifically for small business owners.

"Cyber security is one of the most critical issues business owners face," said Andrew Howell, Chamber vice president for homeland security. "It is important to move industry beyond awareness of cyber security problems to implementing solutions," said Ty Sagalow, Deputy Chief Underwriting Officer and DBG Vice President, American International Group, one of three Chairs of the task force that issued the report.

The guidebook, produced in conjunction with the Internet Security Alliance, outlines what small business owners can and should do to protect their critical high-tech infrastructure, including: not opening emails from unknown senders, changing passwords regularly, using anti-virus programs, installing firewalls, and closing Internet connections when users are away from their computers.

"With nearly every small business retaining customer and employee data on their computer systems we must protect from online fraud, theft and security breeches," said Howard Schmidt, Chief Information Security Office at E-Bay and Co-Chair of the task force that released the report. "Now is the time to act and our report demonstrates the commitment of many public and private partners to implement comprehensive awareness," commented Dan Caprio, Chief of Staff to Federal Trade Commissioner Orson Swindle, the third Co-Chair.

The Partnership’s report calls on the Department of Homeland Security to partner with employers to host information forums on cyber security, and recommends a comprehensive national public service campaign to educate Americans on the importance of cyber security.

The National Cyber Security Partnership seeks to harden America’s critical information infrastructure through collaborative action. Members include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Software Alliance, the Information Technology Association of America, and TechNet.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

www.uschamber.com 04-32

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