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CSIA Expands International Footprint With Opening of Brussels Office; Hires Marika Konings to Lead European Efforts ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA) today opened its European headquarters in Brussels, a milestone in the organization's mission to improve information security through international public policy, advocacy and educational efforts. CSIA also announced today that Marika Konings will lead its new Brussels office. As the Director of European Affairs, Konings will be responsible for information security public policy and awareness raising efforts in Europe. "There are currently several initiatives in the European Union that examine privacy directives and call for a more secure infrastructure," said Paul Kurtz, executive director of CSIA. "It is important for CSIA to expand its European presence now, while these discussions are still underway. With the opening of our European office led by Marika, CSIA will be able to dedicate more time and resources to uniting international efforts in the fight to strengthen our global information infrastructure and combat cybercrime. We are pleased to welcome Marika as part of the CSIA team, and look forward to the knowledge and experience she will bring to the organization." CSIA has been active in many international cyber security efforts and most recently advocated for the passage of the Convention on Cybercrime, an international treaty adopted through the Council of Europe. Last month, CSIA applauded the U.S. Senate for ratification of this Convention, marking an important step in the fight against the global nature of information security. "As businesses become increasingly international and cyber threats cross borders, we are realizing that a comprehensive, global approach is required to keep our networks and data safe," said Konings. "The European Union has been a thought leader in their privacy and security initiatives, and I am thrilled to be working as the liaison between CSIA and the European Union to tackle the global challenge of information security." As part of her work for CSIA, Konings will represent CSIA's interests before the European Union institutions and engage with policy makers to raise the profile of cyber security on the EU agenda. Konings has an extensive background in cyber security policy and was most recently a Senior Consultant with Interel PR & PA. At Interel PR & PA, she developed and implemented targeted European and international public affairs campaigns and stakeholder outreach in the ICT sector. Before Interel PR & PA, Konings worked at the European Commission in the Socrates & Youth technical assistance office and at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. Konings holds a Master's degree in European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Brugge. "One of the defining trends in cyber crime now and in the foreseeable future is the growing importance of organized crime, which is being actively conducted by off-shoots of existing criminal organizations and newly formed groups. The driving force for these criminal organizations is the ease of making money through cyber crime and the relatively low chance of being faced with the consequences in a court of law," said Risto Siilasmaa, CEO of F-Secure. "A major part of the challenge in stopping this new breed of crime is the chasm between the global nature of the Internet and cyber crime and the national nature of legislation and law enforcement. CSIA can play a major role in helping governments and legislators to unite forces across borders to fight cyber crime." About the Cyber Security Industry Alliance The Cyber Security Industry Alliance is the only advocacy group dedicated exclusively to ensuring the privacy, reliability and integrity of information systems through public policy, technology, education and awareness. Led by CEOs from the world's top security providers, CSIA believes a comprehensive approach to information system security is vital to the stability of the global economy. Visit our web site at http://www.csialliance.org/. Members of the CSIA include Application Security, Inc.; CA, Inc. (NYSE:CA); Citadel Security Software Inc. (OTC:CDSS); Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS); Entrust, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENTU); F-Secure Corporation (HEX:FSC1V); Fortinet, Inc.; Internet Security Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ISSX); iPass Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAS); McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE); Mirage Networks; PGP Corporation; Qualys, Inc.; RSA Security Inc. (NASDAQ:RSAS); Secure Computing Corporation (NASDAQ:SCUR); Surety, Inc.; SurfControl Plc (LSE:SRF); Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC); TechGuard Security, LLC; and Vontu, Inc. DATASOURCE: Cyber Security Industry Alliance CONTACT: Marika Konings of Cyber Security Industry Alliance, +32-2-234-78-50, ; or Stacy Simpson of Merritt Group, +1-703-390-1528, , for Cyber Security Industry Alliance Web site: http://www.csialliance.org/

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