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Top U.S. executives call for better cybersecurity

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - Chief executives of some of the largest companies in the United States on Wednesday called on the technology industry to make products that can better withstand hackers, viruses and other online threats.

Software and hardware makers need to produce products that are more secure, offer better technical support and make it easier to keep them updated, said the Business Roundtable, which represents executives from 150 large companies, including Coca-Cola Co. , ChevronTexaco Corp. and General Motors Corp..

"They need to take this on in a much more serious way than they have before," said Marian Hopkins, the group's director of public policy.

Company executives also need to take a greater interest in computer security, the group said in a report that echoed others released earlier this spring under the guidance of the Department of Homeland Security.

Internet attacks can clog computer networks, knock vital Web sites offline and expose computer records to prying eyes. Viruses and worms like SoBig and Slammer have cost businesses billions of dollars in lost productivity.

Like several other groups examining the issue, the Business Roundtable said cybersecurity should be improved voluntarily by the private sector, rather than through government regulations.

Companies should not be required to disclose their cybersecurity efforts in financial filings, the group said.

An official representing the technology industry agreed that high-tech companies need to offer more secure products but pointed out that the industry has only recently begun to focus on the issue.

"There will probably come a day when security is seamless, invisible and automatic, but that day isn't here yet," said Greg Garcia, vice president for information security at the Information Technology Association of America.