Hewlett-Packard GC Says Tech Industry Faces ‘Erosion of Trust’ Over Cybersecurity
Hewlett-Packard general counsel Michael Holston says the technology industry needs to work with other industries and the U.S. government to address cybersecurity concerns.
Speaking Tuesday at a forum on innovation at the Brookings Institution, Holston said the technology industry is facing an “erosion of trust” over privacy and security issues, IDG News reports. If the tech industry doesn’t address the problems, “consumers will react negatively and regulators may have to step in,” Holston said. He called on technology companies to develop new privacy standards and improved cybersecurity.
He also said that cloud computing—in which digital data is stored with third-party service providers—requires new ground rules for privacy and security.
Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith also used a Brookings Institution forum to propose a cloud computing law that protects offsite data from government overreaching and increases criminal penalties for hackers.
Holston had been outside counsel for HP at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius before he was hired as the company’s general counsel in 2007. He brought an “evangelical zeal” to the job, shaking up the department as he increased workload requirements and trimmed spending on outside counsel, Corporate Counsel reported in a profile.
