Arlington – Internet Security Alliance Dave McCurdy, testifying before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection on efforts being taken by the private sector to address cyber threats, today said the Internet Security Alliance acts as a bridge between the public and private sectors in the fight for cyber-security.

McCurdy said:

“Since September 11th, the business community has become more security conscious than ever before. There is real alarm among companies concerning not only physical security but also cyber security, and with good reason. According to the CERT/CC at Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute the number of attacks on the Internet has increased at an exponential rate. The CERT/CC handled over 20,000 incidents in 2000 and are now estimating that they will now handle over 40,000 incidents in 2001. Each one of those “incidents” could ultimately bloom into Code Red or Nimda attack within hours of its detection. The threat is critical. Corporations and the government find themselves on the front lines defending the critical functions of the national infrastructure, as well as the assets of American companies.”

“The security and survivability of the Internet depends on the cooperation between the private and public sectors. Congress should promote interaction between government and the private sector and should also address issues such as exemption from FOIA and anti-trust barriers. In addition, Congress can set a great example for the private sector by increasing the security of all government systems, which historically have been out-dated and have not met minimal standards for security.

“The Internet Security Alliance is able to act as a bridge between the private sector and public sector by promoting best practices and appropriate data sharing mechanisms.”

“Using the collective experience the Internet Security Alliance and its members, we can effectively promote sound information security practices, policies and technologies that enhance the security of the Internet and global information systems.”

McCurdy’s complete testimony can be found on the Internet Security Alliance website: www.isalliance.org.

About the Internet Security Alliance

The Internet Security Alliance (www.isalliance.org) is a global coalition of industry, information security and academic leaders, who understand the need for and value of a comprehensive, industry-driven forum for information sharing and thought leadership on information security issues. The Alliance is working to shape and utilize a new paradigm for global, cross-sectoral information sharing on cyber-threats and vulnerabilities. It represents industrys interest before legislators and regulators and aims to identify and standardize best practices in Internet security and network survivability, while creating a collaborative environment to develop and implement information security solutions.

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