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U.S., Japan Draft Cyber-Security Pact
by William New
The United States and Japan last week prepared a final draft of a joint statement on promoting global cyber security.
The Sept. 9 draft commits the two governments to sharing "information and perspectives" on securing information systems and networks, and to raising awareness and highlighting "best practices" in addressing cyber security. It also highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in implementing cyber-security initiatives.
The draft emerged from talks held in Japan that included Paul Kurtz, a special assistant to President Bush and senior director for critical infrastructure protection, according to an industry source. It reflects the principles issued one year ago by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which called for creating a "culture of security."
Both nations also affirmed that governments should identify and give sufficient power to a central authority to pursue national cyber-security policies in an intergovernmental manner. That role falls to the Homeland Security Department's cyber division in the United States, but also involves work with the State and Justice departments and the FBI, the draft said.
The draft identified the White House Homeland Security Council as the coordinator of all security-related policy among federal and executive agencies.
Japan's lead coordinator is the Information Technology Security Office, and its policies follow the e-Japan II strategy that emphasized cooperation among various agencies. Efforts include alternative operation of information systems, full-time monitoring of the systems, creating an emergency system, and gathering and sharing information on security.
The two sides also agreed that they could not defend cyberspace alone and that they should foster public-private partnerships. The nations also were encouraged to work within multilateral forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Group of Eight leading economies and the OECD.
Robert Holleyman, president of the Business Software Alliance, said the accord with Japan is "the type of agreement that we think is very important." Other leading governments on cyber security include Australia, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. "That nexus is an opportunity for U.S. leadership," he said.
Disappointment Reigns After Failed Cancun Talks
Industry representatives were unanimous in their head-shaking this week after free-trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization ministerial in Cancun, Mexico, fell flat. The frustration was especially apparent among industries like technology that cannot benefit from talks until intractable disagreements on agriculture are resolved.
"I think the WTO has some very difficult sledding now that a core group of developing countries [known as the G-21] is clearly united and has very clearly stated objectives in agriculture," said Tim Bennett, vice president at the tech group AeA. The issue is particularly problematic given that the European Union's entrenchment on agriculture will only deepen when it adds nations such as Poland and Hungary next spring, he said.
The sector is seeking the elimination of duties on tech products, among other things, and Bennett said that makes the standoff frustrating. "We have meaningful [goals] that we believe could only be achieved in the context of a multilateral negotiation," he said. "But we are not the drivers in this negotiation."
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the National Association of Manufacturers, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Democrat Max Baucus of Montana were among the trade associations and congressmen to voice disappointment.
TIA made a point of praising U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, even though TIA is particularly interested in the negotiations on access to markets for non-agricultural goods and services, which stalled.
Trade News At The Commerce Department
The Commerce Department has certified TIA to organize the official U.S. exhibitor pavilion at the SuperComm India 2004 trade fair to be held in New Delhi, India, from Feb. 4-6. The trade show will feature 150 exhibiting companies and 15,000 trade and professional attendees, plus 300 delegates. Deadline for presentation proposals is Sept. 30.
In other news, the department has appointed Heidi Hijikata as standards liaison for the International Trade Administration (ITA). Secretary Donald Evans announced the new position based up on an Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) recommendation, ITI said.
The standards liaison collaborates with the U.S. Trade Representative and other government agencies on standardization priorities in U.S. trade agreements. Hijikata also will work with the standards services division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, ITI said.
Hijikata was vice president of marketing, communications and government affairs for the Asia-Pacific region at Electronic Data Systems and previously spent 12 years as director of Commerce ITA's software division.
Prep Meeting For Information Summit Begins
The third meeting of the preparatory committee for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which runs from Sept. 15-26 in Geneva, began this week with commitments from 40 heads of state and government to attend the December WSIS summit.
"The interest expressed by leaders from both the developed and developing world is evidence of how information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming the global economy and society," Yoshio Utsumi, secretary-general of the U.N. International Telecommunication Union, said in a statement. "There is widespread recognition among leaders that collective action is required to address the digital divide and its implications for broader social and economic development."
The preparatory meeting will tackle the draft declaration of principles and the action plan aimed at harnessing the power of ICTs for development and creating an information society that benefits all parts of the world, a WSIS statement said. Issues to be addressed include: security, privacy, unsolicited commercial e-mail, universal and affordable access to ICTs, "open source" software whose code can be viewed and altered, and electronic applications for health, learning, business, employment, environment and government. Cultural issues also will play a part.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan sent a video message to Friday's meeting of the U.N. Information and Communications Technology Task Force in Geneva to say information technology should be used to improve life in developing countries. "A powerful coalition has now formed to support this cause," he said.
Britain Moves Ahead On Data Retention
Agencies in Britain are to move forward with plans to ensure that telecom companies retain the records of every telephone, Internet and e-mail user, despite stiff opposition from industry and civil libertarians.
The Guardian reports that the Home Office on Friday announced that telecom companies and Internet service providers will have to hold customer records for 12 months to allow access by law enforcement and other government bodies.
The data would include names and addresses of subscribers, calls made and received, Internet sites visited, sources and destinations of e-mails, and mobile-phone data that can identify users' location.
In other European news, an experts group at the Council of Europe this week plans to hold a meeting in Strasbourg, France on "e-enabled voting." On Thursday and Friday, the group will prepare a recommendation on legal, operational and technical standards for e-voting, to be adopted by the council's committee of ministers in the first half of 2004.
A separate Luxembourg event on "trustmarks" in e-commerce was canceled because of a lack of registrations, according to a Web site for the event.
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