Story: Goodlatte Promotes SAFE Act at Network Associates Conference, 6/2/99.

Rep. Goodlatte Promotes Encryption Bill at Network Associates Conference

(June 2, 1999) Rep. Bob Goodlatte promoted the SAFE Act, and encouraged others to ask their Members of Congress to support the bill, in an address to a Network Associates conference held near Washington DC on Wednesday, June 2.

Related Pages

HR 850 IH, SAFE Act.
Summary of Encryption Bills.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) (web site | bio) is the lead sponsor of HR 850, the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act. The bill provides that people in the United States can use and sell in interstate commerce any kind of encryption. It also provides that the government cannot mandate any kind of key escrow. Finally, the bill eases current restraints on the export of encryption products.

Network Associates is one of the world's largest software producers. Its collection of security software includes the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) line of encryption products. Network Associates hosted a large gathering of IT professionals at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia to promote its Active Security Initiative -- a suite of network security applications, supported partnership technologies provided by VeriSign, Entrust, Microsoft, and others.


Rep. Bob Goodlatte

"We unfortunately today have a federal government policy with regard to the use of strong encryption, a vital component of network security, that discourages the use of strong encryption," Rep. Goodlatte told the audience. Network Associates, currently can sell its encryption products in the United States. However, its sale to persons outside of the U.S. is restricted by export control regulations.

"When you are talking about the Internet," said Rep. Goodlatte, "the ability to sell something domestically is not enough. You have got to have interactive global communications systems. Products being sold by this countries' great leaders in this industry is vitally important. So, I urge you to take the time, when you get home, to contact your Member of Congress. Make sure that they are a cosponsor of this legislation. And, let them know how vitally important it is."

Rep. Goodlatte cited the recent hack attacks on the FBI, Senate, and other government web sites as evidence of the need for greater network security.

Network Associates (NASDAQ: NETA) is a supplier of enterprise-wide network security and management software. It is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It has about 2,500 employees. It had sales of $990 Million in 1998.

Network Associates' Net Tools Secure suite is comprised of several security products, including Gauntlet, CyberCop, PGP and VirusScan. They are integrated through a central event manager called Event Orchestrator. Gauntlet is firewall protection software. CyberCop is software for scanning networks and locating vulnerabilities. CyberCop Monitor detects intruders. CyberCop Sting traces and tracks hackers. PGP is encryption software, ranging from VPN suites to freeware downloadable at the Network Associates web site.

Opening Address by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).
Event: Network Associates Active Security Conference.
Date: June 2, 1999.
Location: Arlington, Virginia.
This address was transcribed by Tech Law Journal from an audio recording.

It is my pleasure to be here with you. Those of you who have not seen this before, let me tell you, you are in for quite a treat today. I had the privilege of participating in the launch of this product in Oakland, California, recently. And, it was quite an exciting event. And, it is my pleasure to welcome Network Associates and all of their great partners to the Washington area for the same purpose.

In the Congress I serve as a Chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus, and also Chairman of the House Republican High-Tech Working Group. So, I have the challenging job of bringing the Congress and the legislative initiatives of our country into the information age.

One of the things I want to talk to you about today bears very directly upon what Network Associates and other good companies are doing to make sure that the folks in this country and around the world are secure in their communications, whether it be their e-mail, their medical records, their financial transactions, their intellectual property, their industrial trade secrets, whatever the case might be. Security is of paramount importance.

We unfortunately today have a federal government policy with regard to the use of strong encryption, a vital component of network security, that discourages the use of strong encryption.

So I, and other Members of Congress, have introduced legislation, the SAFE Act, Security and Freedom through Encryption, HR 850, which is very bipartisan, it has 256 cosponsors in the House, the leadership of both parties are strongly supporting it, which will change this administration's policy to allow companies like Network Associates and others to create good software and hardware products, that utilize strong encryption, to be able to export that encryption, and make this a secure network around the world.

Because, after all, when you are talking about the Internet, the ability to sell something domestically is not enough. You have got to have interactive global communications systems. Products being sold by this countries' great leaders in this industry is vitally important.

So, I urge you to take the time, when you get home, to contact your Member of Congress. Make sure that they are a cosponsor of this legislation. And, let them know how vitally important it is.

We have all seen in the news repeatedly, but especially here just in the last week, story after story of government and other computer systems being hacked into by hackers, some just for the sheer joy of hacking, others because they want to steal or terrorize, or whatever the case might be. But it is vitally important that we have a secure system if the Internet is going to grow and achieve the full potential that it truly has.

In that regard, I was delighted to learn recently the White House is a purchaser of Active Security. We want to make sure that not is the White House secure, but that every American, and everyone around the world, needs to have the kind of secure environment in which to conduct business and to conduct their personal relations, has the opportunity to do so. And that is what I am committed to doing. And that is what the folks here today at Network Associates are committed to doing as well.

So, to answer the question, "Who's watching your network?", please welcome Mr. Zach Nelson, Vice President of Network Associates.

[applause]