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February 15, 2006
For More Information, Contact:
Hema Sareen Mohan (650) 688-6384
SIMITIAN TO PRESENT AT WORLD’S LARGEST INFORMATION SECURITY CONFERENCE
SACRAMENTO – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) will serve on a keynote panel about data breach notification laws at the 2006 RSA conference, the world’s largest event for cyber security professionals.
The panel discussion, “Federal vs. State: Debating the Fate of Data Breach Notification Laws,” will focus on Simitian’s AB 700, the law that requires businesses to notify consumers in the event that their personal identifying information has been compromised.
“I’m gratified to serve on this panel,” Simitian said. “I authored AB 700 because I believe that when it comes to online security, ignorance isn’t bliss. What you don’t know can hurt you.”
Simitian added, “Ideally, we need to create tamper-proof security systems, but until then, it’s important that we continue to give consumers the information they need to take steps to protect themselves. I’ll continue to work on legislation that helps do just that.”
“I am particularly concerned, “ said Simitian, “about current attempts in Congress to pass legislation preempting the field, and rolling back the protections we’ve provided to California consumers.”
The 15th annual RSA Conference is being held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose from February 13-17, 2006. The conference brings together information technology professionals, policymakers, and academics to share information and exchange ideas on security trends and best practices in addressing identity theft and security breaches.
Simitian is scheduled to speak on Friday, February 17 at 1:00 pm. The other panelists are Orson Swindle, former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission; Paul Kurtz, executive director of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance; and Rich Baich, managing director for performance improvement at PricewaterhouseCoopers. USA Today reporter Jon Swartz will moderate the panel.
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