SEC Website Provides Information on Upcoming Outreach Events Concerning Homeland Security Issues for the Financial Sector

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2003-139

Washington, D.C., Oct. 21, 2003 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has added sections to existing pages on its Web site that provide information on homeland security related outreach events that will be held in various locations throughout the United States during the remainder of 2003 and 2004. These events are being sponsored jointly by the interagency working group known as the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee (FBIIC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). FBIIC is chartered by the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, serves as the Homeland Security Council Financial Markets Work Group, and is charged with improving coordination and communication among financial regulators and enhancing the reliability of the U.S. financial system.

Each outreach event will take the form of a full day symposium that will examine the security of the U.S. financial sector and outline steps that the banking, securities, and insurance industries can take to protect themselves. These events will provide opportunities to hear from senior government, law enforcement, and private sector leaders about initiatives that have already been undertaken to improve the security and the resiliency of the financial sector. Speakers will help participants to identify actions and plans that financial institutions should take to prepare for an emergency.

Information on upcoming events and links to the FBIIC and FDIC Web sites are available at http://www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/events/fed-outreach.htm