A vibrant economy requires a safe and secure homeland. American businesses have a multifaceted stake in a strong national defense and homeland security policies that protect both our citizens and our vital assets like infrastructure, supply chains, and cyberspace. The Chamber’s National Security and Emergency Preparedness Department works with a broad coalition of private and public sector partners to find balanced risk-based solutions that strengthen security, reduce the cost of doing business, and provide regulatory certainty.
Cybersecurity
Along with the commercial benefits of a world interconnected through the web, an environment has emerged for bad actors to steal trade and business secrets, raid consumer financial information, wreak havoc on business networks, and even disrupt major utilities. These cyberattacks are on the rise and pose a real and growing threat to our national and economic security and compromise consumers’ privacy.
The Chamber is working to advance legislation to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity while educating businesses of all sizes about threats and the steps they can take to better protect their assets and customers from cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity Working Group
The Chamber’s Cybersecurity Working Group (CWG) identifies cutting-edge issues, crafts policies and positions, and provides analysis and advocacy to government and business leaders. The efforts of the CWG influence the economic and security bottom lines of small, midsize, and large businesses. The CWG’s 2017 policy priorities include:
Advocating for the Cybersecurity Framework and Supporting Small Businesses. The Chamber urges the administration to support the flexible industry-National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (the Framework). The voluntary Framework, which the Chamber actively promotes through its national campaign, has received much praise from public and private organizations at home and overseas.
Leveraging Cyber Threat Information. Most policy and business observers agree that effective cyber information sharing is an important method of protecting organizations’ computer systems. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA) is off to a good start and does not need amending.
Protecting the Internet of Things (IoT) and Increasing Businesses’ Gains. Many companies go to extraordinary lengths to incorporate security into the design phase of the IoT devices that they make and sell globally. The Chamber wants both device makers and buyers to gain from the business community leading the development of state-of-the-art IoT components that can be used in settings such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, and health care. Strong IoT security should be a win-win proposition for both makers and purchasers. The Chamber’s recently completed report on IoT Security written by the law firm Wile Rein is available here.
Cybersecurity Education and Awareness Campaign: Improving Today. Protecting Tomorrow
- The Chamber’s Cybersecurity Education and Awareness campaign seeks to educate businesses of all sizes to the cyber threat and urges them to adopt basic cybersecurity fundamentals (e.g. adopt the NIST framework) to reduce network weaknesses.
- Over the past three years, the Chamber has hosted twelve regional cybersecurity events and five national cybersecurity summits here in Washington D.C.
- The Chamber has also developed Internet Security Essentials for Business 2.0. This resource informs businesses about common threats, such as cybercrime, and outlines steps to protect their systems, data, and devices.
Chamber Launched Cyber Leadership Council
In 2015, the Chamber launched a Cybersecurity Leadership Council (press release). By creating a forum for businesses to have an open dialogue about which cybersecurity policies or practices are effective, missing, or needed, the council will direct Chamber advocacy and education efforts and serve as a key voice of industry for dialogue with policymakers. Made of about 30 companies and trade associations, the Council is led by the second chairman, former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary and WilmerHale parter, Ali Mayorkas.
View the original article and more from the US Chamber, here!