SEOUL, Korea – A strong coalition of global technology business organizations today released a roadmap for industry and governments to follow to enhance cybersecurity while encouraging breakthrough innovation and allowing countries to continue to reap the benefits of the Internet economy.

“Technologies and services change and evolve rapidly, and policymaking related to cyberspace must also be innovative to support growth, security, trust and confidence, and stability. An open, inclusive, light-touch policy framework facilitates the invention, diffusion, and uptake of new technologies, and enables countless new ideas, business models, and opportunities around the world. Government, industry, academia, and civil society must sustain and build on that approach as we address emerging challenges by collaborating and innovating to create globally compatible policies to universal challenges so that the economic, societal, and cultural benefits of cyberspace can be fully realized,” the groups said in their paper.

The coalition comprises BSA | The Software Alliance, DIGITALEUROPE, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), and Korea Internet Corporations Association (KINTERNET). Together, these organizations represent the full spectrum of the information technology sector, and they are engaged with governments around the globe to develop effective approaches to protect the Internet while enhancing innovation and economic opportunity.

Their plan, released at the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013, recommends policy approaches industry and governments should take regarding six policy areas inherent to global digital security and innovation:

  • economic growth and development;
  • social and cultural benefits;
  • cybersecurity;
  • international security;
  • cybercrime; and
  • capacity building.

The full paper is available online here.

The Seoul Conference on Cyberspace brought together thought leaders from governments, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry to discuss these important topics.

Comments on the News
BSA President & CEO Victoria Espinel: “Digital innovation powers growth in every sector of the global
economy and enhances all aspects of modern life, so governments and industry have shared interests and mutual responsibilities for fostering its continued progress. Forums like the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace are important for facilitating collaboration among stakeholders, and we welcome the opportunity to offer a framework for addressing security challenges and seizing opportunities to continue growing the digital economy."

DIGITALEUROPE Director General John Higgins CBE: “Cyberspace is not confined by borders. It presents us with global opportunities, and also challenges. This is why I am proud that we can present this set of recommendations jointly with our partners BSA, ITI, JEITA, and KINTERNET. Only effective global cooperation – between government and industry – will allow us to reap the benefits presented to us by global cyberspace."

ITI President & CEO Dean Garfield: “Cyberspace is transforming the ways in which we live, work, play, and learn. In order to ensure that technology products and services continue to enrich our lives and empower economic growth it is imperative that we have smart policies. Getting the right cybersecurity policy framework in place is foundational to the future of cyberspace. The tech sector is committed to continuing our work with governments globally to creatively tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

JEITA Senior Executive Vice President Hidekazu Hasegawa: “Enhancing security in cyberspace is essential for its healthy growth. We need to adopt global, open and transparent approaches against the current challenges which threaten cybersecurity, one of the urgent global issues we must address. We would like to establish a framework of high-level international cooperation through these recommendations with governments and industries worldwide.”

KINTERNET Chairman Kim Sanghun: “The Internet underpins a whole new world in which previously
disparate things are now interconnected. The themes of this framework—economic growth and development, social and cultural benefits, cyber security, international security, cybercrime, and capacity building—build upon each other. At the same time, capacity building is central to all of these efforts, particularly as we encourage developing countries to be an integral part of the Internet economy. It is a special honor to join this statement launched at the Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013. I believe our efforts will result in a better cyberspace environment for all relevant stakeholders.”

Background on the Organizations
BSA | The Software Alliance: BSA | The Software Alliance is the leading global advocate for the software industry. It is an association of world-class companies that invest billions of dollars annually to create software solutions that spark the economy and improve modern life. Through international government relations, intellectual property enforcement and educational activities, BSA expands the horizons of the digital world and builds trust and confidence in the new technologies driving it forward. www.bsa.org Contact: Randolph Court, randolphc@bsa.org

DIGITALEUROPE: DIGITALEUROPE represents the digital technology industry in Europe. Our 100+
members include some of the world’s largest IT, telecoms and consumer electronics companies and nationalassociations from every part of Europe. DIGITALEUROPE wants European businesses and citizens to benefit from digital technologies and for Europe to grow, attract and sustain the world's best digital technology companies. DIGITALEUROPE ensures industry participation in the development and implementation of EU policies. www.digitaleurope.org Contact: Jonathan Murray, jonathan.murray@digitaleurope.org

ITI: The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier advocacy and policy organization for the world’s leading innovation companies. ITI navigates the constantly changing relationships between policymakers, companies, and non-governmental organizations, providing creative solutions that advance the development and use of technology around the world. We develop first-rate advocacy strategies and market specific approaches. www.itic.org Contact: Colleen Pickford, cpickford@itic.org

JEITA: The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) is a leading
Japanese organization comprising around 400 enterprises with global operations in the IT electronics sector, including consumer electronics, industrial electronics, semiconductors, electronic components and software. The objective of JEITA is to promote the healthy manufacturing, international trade and consumption of electronics products and components in order to contribute to the overall development of the electronics and information technology industries. www.jeita.or.jp Contact: Akiko Harada, ak-harada@jeita.or.jp

KINTERNET: Representing nearly 200 members, KINTERNET is a leading organization dedicated to assisting domestic Internet enterprises realize a better business environment. KINTERNET promotes the use of the Internet in the private and public sectors, proposes policies for the improvement of the environment of Internet businesses, performs research, conducts international exchanges, and supports enterprises'  management.  KINTERNET cooperates with various government and economic organizations as we advance these goals. www.kinternet.org Contact: Hyejung Na, hjna@kinternet.org