Recommendations Serve as Guideposts for Governments Worldwide

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 21 JUNE 2012. Three major global technology associations have agreed a clear set of principles that provide governments worldwide with a common foundation for policy in the area of cyber security.

The principles, adopted by Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), DIGITALEUROPE, and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), provide governments with a better understanding of the hallmarks that should be embodied in any cyber security policy.

The principles support the following overarching objective: “Cyber security is a high priority for governments, society, and industry globally. Policy approaches to advance cyber security must meet security needs while preserving interoperability, openness, and a global market. Such approaches will result in enhanced security. In the right policy environment, we can increase security while maintaining the societal benefits derived from the growth and development of cyberspace.”

Each organization has actively engaged with policy makers to ensure that they have a deeper and more accurate vision of and the necessity to develop responsible approaches to cyber security in North America, Europe, and Asia. Industry agrees that the approaches being considered by governments around the world should be developed in a collaborative fashion to ensure that protection works in a coordinated fashion across borders and not in silos which create gaps and weaknesses that can be easily exploited.

“In the United States and around the world, policymakers are keenly focused on the development of smart, effective, robust cyber defenses. This is as true for governments as it is for other public- and private-sector organizations. As countries draw up their plans, the tech sector wants to ensure that the digital world’s foundation of openness and collaboration is not lost to a well-intentioned but poorly constructed international patchwork of cyber defenses,” explained Dean C. Garfield, ITI’s president and CEO.

“Each country is required to grow and develop the industrial infrastructure and technology for robust development of cyber security and information security area. To achieve this, it is important for each government to develop a security strategy in cooperation with its industry partners. Also, international coalition is essential to enhance cyber security of each country, so we would like to establish a framework of high level international cooperation in a manner consistent with global standards,” explained Hidekazu Hasegawa, JEITA’s senior executive vice president.

“International trade is important especially as Europe focuses even harder on growth,” added John Higgins CBE, Director General of DIGITALEUROPE. “Our industry is a leading contributor. We recognise that a coherent global approach to cyber security is difficult but we think it is a worthwhile target because it will be such an important enabler and facilitator for trade. This statement is evidence of our associations working together to achieve this and we hope governments around the world can follow this example.”

The three organizations, which collectively include ICT companies headquartered around the world, have developed principles that focus on the core issues of collaboration, interoperability between sectors and nations, and proactive protections that focus on building awareness and sharing information.

Read the groups’ principles online.

Media contacts:

· ITI: Meghan Fletcher, mfletcher@itic.org, +1 202 524 4389 (Washington, D.C.)

· JEITA: Akiko Harada, ak-harada@jeita.or.jp, +81 3 5218 1060 (Tokyo)

· DIGITALEUROPE: Natalia Kurop, natalia.kurop@digitaleurope.org, +32 2 609 53 26 (Brussels); M : +32 (0) 471 717 738

About DIGITALEUROPE, JEITA, and ITI

DIGITALEUROPE: DIGITALEUROPE represents the digital technology industry in Europe. Our 100+ members include some of the world’s largest IT, telecoms and consumer electronics companies and national associations from every part of Europe. DIGITALEUROPE wants European businesses and citizens to benefit from digital

technologies and for Europe to grow, attract and sustain the world's best digital technology companies.

DIGITALEUROPE ensures industry participation in the development and implementation of EU policies.Together, DIGITALEUROPE’s members represent more than 10,000 companies that employ two million citizens and generate €1 trillion in revenues. Our website provides further information on our activities:

http://www.digitaleurope.org.

JEITA: The objective of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) is to promote the healthy manufacturing, international trade and consumption of electronics products and components in order to contribute to the overall development of the electronics and information technology (IT) industries, and thereby further Japan's economic development and cultural prosperity. Learn more at

http://www.jeita.or.jp/english/.

ITI: The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world’s leading innovation companies. ITI navigates the constantly changing relationships between policymakers, companies, and non-governmental organizations, providing creative solutions that advance the development and use of technology around the world. We develop first-rate advocacy strategies and marketspecific approaches. And we deliver results. Visit itic.org to learn more.

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