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Press Release

For additional information on The Open Group conference, contact Maryann Karinch
m.karinch@opengroup.org
+1 650.726.7020
for webcast information and links to selected presentations.

Cybersecurity Chiefs from US, EU, and Japan Share Strategies at The Open Group Security Conference

San Francisco, CA – February 3, 2003 – Key government security speakers from the United States, Japan, and the European Union opened The Open Group winter conference by addressing the policies and issues affecting information security in their nations. The conference, entitled Boundaryless Information Flow: Keeping IT Secure, runs through Friday at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco Airport.

“To have the IT security perspectives of the US, EU, and Japan expressed at a single conference made this a momentous event,” said Allen Brown, President and CEO of The Open Group.

In speaking for The President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, Keynoter Andy Purdy stated, “Our overall strategic goal is to empower all Americans to secure their portion of cyberspace.” Purdy, who is Deputy to the Vice Chair, Senior Advisor, IT Security and Privacy, then reviewed key features of The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, the draft of which was first presented for public comment in September 2002.

“A key theme of the draft National Strategy matches the key theme of this conference,” Brown stated, “and that is ‘addressing the challenges of the borderless network.’ The Open Group’s members have a vision of Boundaryless Information Flow™— the secure, reliable and timely flow of information within and between enterprises. Each conference, as well as each of our programs, helps the vision become reality.”

Presenting “Current IT Security Status in Japan—Environment and Policies” was Kei Harada, Senior Researcher, IT Security Center, Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). IPA is affiliated with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Harada explained IT security policies adopted by the Japanese Government to overcome computer viruses, cybercrime, and other threats on the road to establishing the most advanced and secure information technology-oriented society and e-government.

Andrea Servida, brought the European perspective in his address, “Trust and Security in the Ambient Intelligence Space.” Servida, who is Head of Sector, European Commission Directorate General Information Society – D/4, cited ambient intelligence as the vision driving the EC’s research and development Priority on Information Society Technologies (IST). It embodies the prospect of a generation of technologies in which computers and networks will be integrated into the everyday environment. The presentation highlighted the technological and societal challenges for security and dependability associated with such a vision and how the EC is addressing them in the newly defined R&D program on IST.

About The Open Group

The Open Group, a vendor-neutral and technology-neutral consortium, has a vision of Boundaryless Information Flow achieved through global interoperability in a secure, reliable and timely manner. The Open Group’s mission is to drive the creation of Boundaryless Information Flow by working with customers to capture, understand and address current and emerging requirements, establish policies, and share best practices; working with suppliers, consortia and standards bodies to develop consensus and facilitate interoperability, to evolve and integrate specifications and open source technologies; offering a comprehensive set of services to enhance the operational efficiency of consortia; and developing and operating the industry's premier certification service and encouraging procurement of certified products.