Security trumps secrecy in cyber fight, prosecutor says

A top federal prosecutor has a message for companies: If you've been hacked, tell us.

Speaking at a cyber security conference in New York on Thursday, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said companies should trust in the discretion of prosecutors and the FBI and come forward with information about a security breach, rather than keep it an internal secret.

"When industry delays or minimizes, it is harder to assess vulnerabilities and harder to formulate solutions," Bharara said. "When industry delays unduly in disclosing to us, or minimizes, it is that much harder to get the bad guy." Cyber security experts say that corporations rarely acknowledge breaches, and often keep them secret from law enforcement out of fear that news of a compromise will damage their reputation, hurt stock prices and possibly lead to further attacks.