CEOs seek security collaboration

Business Roundtable's Cybersecurity Principles

This week, the Business Roundtable, a group of 150 chief executive officers from some of the nation's largest businesses, outlined its view of the federal government's role in securing cyberspace.

Echoing the position of several other business groups on cybersecurity, the Business Roundtable said the federal government "plays an important collaborative role in information security by sharing information about threats and vulnerabilities, helping companies overcome legal barriers and encouraging appropriate corporate actions."

In a statement issued May 19, the roundtable's Security Task Force chairman, C. Michael Armstrong, chairman of Comcast Corp., called on software makers and information technology companies to develop more secure software and services.

"The cybersecurity problem cannot be fixed by relying solely on end users' applying software patches," Armstrong said.

He also said decisive action is required from all major industries, noting that "attacks on a company in one sector can affect suppliers, partners and customers in a variety of sectors, disrupting the flow of goods and services on a regional, national or even international scale."

Some industry observers said the Business Roundtable's decision to weigh in on cybersecurity issues is significant.

"The important news is that [the Business Roundtable], which is traditional industry and has not been at the table, is coming to the table and saying, 'Information security is important,' " said Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, a group that represents computer security companies.