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Committee, organizations back treaty

A post-9/11 international cybersecurity treaty has gained the backing of an influential U.S. Senate committee - as well as multiple advocacy groups.

The Cyber Security Industry Alliance and the Business Software Alliance issued a joint statement this month commending the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for its report recommending the ratification of the Convention on Cybercrime.

The organizations called the Cybercrime Treaty, signed by the U.S. in November 2001, the "first and only international, multilateral treaty specifically addressing the need for cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of computer network crimes."

The treaty requires global law enforcement cooperation with respect to searches and seizures, according to the groups.

According to the U.S. Constitution, the pact must be ratified by the full Senate for approval. Eleven of the 42 countries that have signed the treaty have completed their ratification process.

The treaty recognizes the global nature of cybercrime, said Robert Holleyman, president and chief executive officer of the BSA.

"Every step we can take to harmonize international law to better enable law enforcement to apprehend cyber criminals is a step in the right direction," he said. "Today's global, internet-enabled crimes call for greater global cooperation among nations, and we applaud the Foreign Relations Committee for their leadership in bringing this to the attention of the full Senate for ratification."

www.senate.gov www.bsa.org www.csialliance.org

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