With the increase of online threats and the rise in reported incidents of compromised computer networks, business leaders around the globe have a heightened awareness of the multitude of security risks their networks are exposed to on a regular basis.

To address those threats, law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, along with Internet Security Systems (ISS) and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), have gathered experts from some of America’s top companies, including presidential appointee Howard Schmidt, to discuss the issue of “Security for the Extended Enterprise.”

The summit will take place Friday, Sept. 13, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, home to a number of security firms for the technology industry.

“The challenge is to protect business critical information while expanding and creating efficient interface to customers” Martin Tilson, partner and chair of the technology practice at Kilpatrick Stockton, said in a statement. “The role of the CIO has evolved over the last five years and become core to this objective and the organization’s long-term strategy.”

Beth Allen, vice president of external affairs for TAG, says Kilpatrick Stockton and ISS came up with the idea and have actually put together the group of panelists that will speak at the summit. Allen says TAG gave the two firms the opportunity to sponsor the event, which it in turn offered to host. She adds that TAG members have a keen interest in the summit’s topic.

“Clearly security is a top issue in technology, and also national security, but the focus is more on technology in security,” Allen says. “Members are very interested in this topic, and I definitely think it drives to high level executives and a full range of others. COOs and CTOs are really attracted, but I think it will spread much further in dealing with any type of security in their companies.”

The conference will include presentations by Schmidt, and Tom Noonan, ISS chairman, president and chief executive officer. Noonan will open the Summit by addressing the importance of protecting the extended enterprise. Schmidt will be addressing government and private sector cooperation to address cyber crime.

Additionally, a panel of thought leaders that include top chief information officers from Fortune 500 businesses also will talk security. The panel moderator will be Richard Hunter, vice president and director of security research for Gartner. Hunter is internationally renowned for his expertise on security, criminology and technology, cyber terrorism, and privacy.

The panel will consist of Thaddeus Arroyo, CIO for Cingular Wireless responsible for overseeing the company’s entire internal information technology infrastructure, and Jean Michael-Ares, CIO for The Coca-Cola Company, in charge of creating and executing worldwide information technology strategy and infrastructure across the company.

“As online security threats continue to escalate and the need for a robust network security solution remains a top concern among businesses of all sizes worldwide, it is imperative that security leaders provide organizations with information that will help them understand the importance of taking a best practices approach to securing their networks,” Noonan said in a statement. “Educating the public on the online threats that continue to plague business practices is key to proactively addressing the issue and protecting critical infrastructures.”

Founded in 1994, ISS (Nasdaq: ISSX) is one of several technology security firms based in Atlanta. Its solutions detect, prevent and respond to these threats, and ISS is the security provider for more than 9,000 corporate customers. These include 49 of the Fortune 50, the top 10 largest U.S. securities firms, 10 of the world’s largest telecommunications companies and major agencies and departments within U.S. local, state and federal governments. ISS has operations throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

Kilpatrick Stockton is an international law firm with more than 500 attorneys in 10 offices across the globe: Atlanta and Augusta, GA; Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, NC; Reston, VA; Washington, DC; Miami, FL; London, England; and Stockholm, Sweden.

TAG is a non-profit trade organization serving the technology industry community in the state of Georgia. With a membership of over 5,000 technology professionals, representing over 2,000 companies, TAG encompasses the widely varied segments of Georgia’s technology industry. Its mission is to provide programs, guidance, organizational support and communications for its membership.

For more information or to register for the “Security for the Extended Enterprise” summit, visit TAG’s Web site.

TAG: www.tagonline.org

Kilpatrick Stockton: www.kilpatrickstockton.com

Internet Security Systems: www.iss.net