The Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA) has formed of a coalition of technology companies and industry organisations in a bid to promote the ratification of the Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime.
The move would make it easier to conduct international investigations of cybercrime.
The CEO-led public policy and advocacy group said it has already signed up industry groups including ASIS International, Business Software Alliance, Information Systems Security Association, Information Technology Association of America and InfraGard to support its efforts urging the United States Senate to ratify the Convention.
The Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime is the first international convention that addresses the need for cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of computer-related crime.
According to CSIA, backing the convention is becoming a pressing priority as cybercrime increasingly challenges existing legal concepts, particularly since it transcends sovereign borders. The treaty was created to resolve these issues and promote a common, cooperative approach to prosecuting cybercriminals.
Currently, President George W. Bush has asked the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty, which was signed by the United States in November 2001. Ratification of the Convention on Cybercrime - with specific reservations and declarations to ensure that the treaty is consistent with the Constitution and Federal law - would minimise obstacles to international cooperation that currently impede US investigations and prosecutions of computer-related crimes, CSIA said.
"Cybercrime transcends geographical and national boundaries and requires a joint effort on the behalf of all nations to combat cybercriminals," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance.
"This is an opportunity for the United States to show strong leadership in the area of cybercrime. The ratification of the Convention assures that all nations can respond to criminal activities beyond its boundaries."
Launched in February 2004 by a group of cyber security software, hardware and services companies, the CSIA is an advocacy group that aims to enhance cyber security through public policy initiatives, public sector partnerships, corporate outreach, academic programs and technology standards initiatives.
Industry members of the CSIA include BindView, Check Point Software Technologies, Citadel Security Software, Computer Associates International; Entrust, Internet Security Systems, Juniper Networks, McAfee, PGP Corporation; Qualys, RSA Security; Secure Computing Corporation and Symantec Corporation.
The coalition is currently welcoming the addition of other organisations and companies to join the group.
https://www.csialliance.org/
https://www.asisonline.org/
https://www.bsa.org/
https://www.issa.org/
https://www.itaa.org/
https://www.infragard.net/
