Cybersecurity may ensnare execs

Corporate liability for computer-security violations may mean executives are sent to prison, according to legal experts. Hackers, viruses and other online threats don't just create headaches for Internet users -- they could also create prison sentences for corporate executives, experts say. Though business groups have lobbied successfully against laws focused on cybersecurity, companies that don't make efforts to secure their networks could face civil and criminal penalties under an array of existing laws and court decisions, according to security and legal experts.

"Computer security is not solely a technology issue," said Dan Burton, a vice president at computer-security firm Entrust who serves on a private-sector board to boost accountability.

Though health care, banking and deceptive-business laws all create security obligations, a new accounting-reform law now being phased in is likely to have the biggest impact.

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