2nd APWG/NCSA Online Consumer Messaging Convention

Last week I attended the 2nd APWG/NCSA Online Consumer Messaging Convention meeting in Washington DC. Rising to an important challenge laid out by the Obama Administration, http://preview.tinyurl.com/n9jobu the Online Consumer Messaging Convention has formed a public/private partnership to craft and propagate essential online safety messages for the general public. Like the "Smokey the Bear" and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaigns, a new cyber security ad campaign will seek to create broad awareness and education among the US population about the importance of cyber security best practices.

The Coalition believes that this education is essential to secure and make safe our governmental, military, financial and banking, healthcare and other corporate IT infrastructures and use of the Internet.The Coalition includes private companies such as Microsoft, Google, Facebook, MySpace, Intuit, SAIC, Paypal, Verisign, Symantec, McAfee, ESET, RSA, Costco, Wal-mart, and association and government members such as National Cyber Security Alliance, Anti Phishing Working Group (the primary organizers of this effort), American Banking Association, US Chamber of Commerce, FTC, IRS, Department of Homeland Security and The White House.

The context of this Coalition is wholly agnostic and nonpartisan. The group is working actively to add members to raise our profile in a "big tent" approach that will ensure the Coalition's success and therefore the benefits the general public.

The first 2 working meetings have focused on group organization, establishment of a clear and concise agenda and education of Coalition members about the issues involved. This has included educational presentations about cyber security education by Carnegie Melon University http://preview.tinyurl.com/66lvtt and Palo Alto Research center http://www.parc.com/, legal advisement around legal entity and IP matters, and cause marketing by The Ad Council http://preview.tinyurl.com/dandg7

The next meeting will take place at Microsoft's offices in Seattle in early to mid November of this year.