February 23, 2018
Leading global and U.S. information and communications technology companies join forces to combat cyber threats
Washington, DC – Leaders from the world’s leading internet and communications technology companies joined with USTelecom and the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) today to announce the formation of the Council to Secure the Digital Economy (CSDE).
CSDE brings together leaders and innovators from across the internet ecosystem to combat increasingly sophisticated and emerging cyber threats through collaborative action to drive effective cyber solutions across the public and private sectors. Founding partners include Akamai, AT&T, CenturyLink, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, NTT, Oracle, Samsung, SAP, Telefonica and Verizon.
“I applaud ITI, USTelecom and their members for leaning forward and addressing the challenges of a more secure digital economy by building upon strategic initiatives from a more integrated and collaborative ICT approach,” said Chris Krebs, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. “This is exactly the type of industry collaboration needed to help frame the important issues through a shared digital economy lens.”
The exponential growth of internet-connected devices worldwide is transforming our global digital economy. By 2020, the digital economy could add $1.36 trillion to the GDP of the world’s top ten economies. With over 8 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the market, the value of digital data flows in the global market is estimated at about $8 trillion in a single year. This tremendous growth, however, is accompanied by significant and costly cybersecurity risks. To help mitigate these risks, CSDE will draw on its cross-sector technical and policy expertise to collaborate with policymakers across the globe to develop effective and practical solutions to our shared cybersecurity challenges.
“As our hyper-interconnected world becomes increasingly dependent upon the internet and communications infrastructure, threats to the global digital ecosystem have become more frequent, sophisticated and consequential,” said USTelecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter. “The CSDE reflects a shared commitment across the leadership of the global information technology and communications sectors to pursue security mitigation as intensely as digital innovation.”
“As innovators and stewards of the digital economy, this new joint USTelecom and ITI council is committed to building a more resilient ecosystem for consumers, businesses, and the public through improved cybersecurity, trust, accountability, and engagement with government,” said ITI President and CEO Dean Garfield. “This is a tremendous opportunity to convene top thought leaders, innovators, technologists, and policymakers to address and mitigate threats to our global digital economy.”
The council is comprised of senior internet and communications technology leaders and experts representing the leading global technology companies with a diversity of interests and a strongly-shared commitment to working collaboratively toward securing our digital economy from current and future cyber threats. CSDE will determine a distinct set of priorities and industry initiatives, working in partnership with the public sector both in the U.S. and globally.
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ABOUT USTELECOM
USTelecom is the nation’s leading trade association representing service providers and suppliers for the telecom industry. Its diverse member base ranges from large publicly traded communications corporations to small companies and cooperatives – all providing advanced communications services to markets both urban and rural.
ABOUT ITI
ITI is the global voice of the tech sector. We advocate for public policies that advance innovation, open markets, and enable the transformational economic, societal, and commercial opportunities that our companies are creating. Our members represent the entire spectrum of technology: from internet companies, to hardware and networking equipment manufacturers, to software developers. ITI’s diverse membership and expert staff provide a broad perspective and intelligent insight in confronting the implications and opportunities of policy activities around the world.