SAN JOSE, Calif. & BEDFORD, Mass.-- June 8, 2005-- Adobe Systems Incorporated and RSA Security Inc. today announced the results of a survey of 400 Washington-based opinion leaders at a privacy and security policy event in Washington, D.C. The survey of senior-level professionals in government, policy, consulting, media and technology in the D.C. area found a majority perceive a need for greater protection of consumer data and the privacy of individual information. Against the backdrop of judicial nominations, stem cell research and Social Security reform, a significant percentage of Washington opinion leaders think protecting consumer data is a "top tier" issue. Forty-four percent view the issue of consumer data theft as a top priority, while a third (34 percent) believe that creating more secure forms of data is a top-tier issue. "The results of this survey demonstrate that the privacy of consumer data continues to be an important issue, and that the technology industry needs to fill the gap between technologies for sharing and technologies for safeguarding information," said Bruce Chizen, chief executive officer of Adobe. "Adobe is committed to supporting document-level security. We view this as a necessary ingredient in addressing the gap and protecting the privacy, confidentiality and authenticity of information." "Many businesses and industries are taking their responsibilities seriously and acting to protect the private information with which they have been entrusted. However, some organizations in both the private and public sectors are failing to prioritize the security of sensitive information online," comments Art Coviello, president and CEO of RSA Security Inc. "As individual policymakers look at this issue, I would urge them to create appropriate 'safe harbors' - in which those who have met current regulatory requirements or industry best practices such as encrypting sensitive information are not penalized, but those who are lagging in reasonable security processes are compelled to meet their responsibilities." The survey also found that 86 percent of the respondents believe that technology can have a strong impact on protecting consumer data from being stolen or misused. In addition, 73 percent believe consumer action can have a strong impact, and corporate action 72 percent. The survey results are available from Adobe or RSA Security. Adobe solutions improve the confidentiality, privacy and authenticity of information. Government agencies can use the free Adobe Reader along with Adobe LiveCycle(TM) Security solutions to make it easier and more secure to communicate across agencies and to constituents with digital signature and encryption technology. RSA Security helps organizations protect private information and manage the identities of the people and applications accessing and exchanging that information. Its portfolio of solutions--including identity and access management, consumer identity protection, secure mobile and remote access, secure enterprise access and secure transactions--is designed to provide the most seamless e-security experience in the market.