White House to tackle cyber challenges with tech and insurance chiefs
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WASHINGTON • The White House was slated to host an event yesterday that would bring together the largest US technology companies for a discussion about cyber-security challenges following a raft of high-profile hacking incidents earlier this year, people familiar with the event told Reuters.
It comes as Congress weighs new legislation concerning data breach notification laws and cyber-security insurance industry regulation, historically viewed as two of the most consequential policy areas within the field.
The guest list includes Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, according to two people familiar with the event.
Another said the topics of discussion will include ransomware, critical infrastructure, supply chain security, cyber-security education and data breach insurance policy.
Executives for energy utility firm Southern Co and financial giant JPMorgan Chase are also expected to attend the event, Bloomberg previously reported.
One of the people familiar with the event said the participating companies are expected to make public commitments towards better IT security measures and for additional workforce training.
The event will feature top cyber-security officials from the Biden administration, including recently confirmed National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, as well as Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, to lead different conversations with industry representatives.
While the White House has continuously engaged the private sector for months over potential new cyber-security rules, the planned event is unique in its inclusion of the insurance industry, according to three people familiar with the event. Property and casualty insurer Travelers Companies CEO Alan Schnitzer will attend, they said.
Insurance companies play an important part in covering damages associated with data breaches. Experts contend that influencing the insurance market's policies around cyber attacks could bring widespread improvements to cyber-defence systems throughout private industry.
REUTERS