1.   Also, with companies in other countries capable of trading greater-quality encryption products, U.S. industry is afraid it will lose its market competitiveness.

2.   American companies now must get a permit from the Commerce Department to export anything but the most rudimentary encryption products.

3.   And if the government weakens encryption products on the market, privacy advocates worry that could simply make financial records and other data more vulnerable to hackers.

4.   Also, encryption companies were able to show that foreign competitors were already producing strong encryption products that rendered any export ban useless.

5.   But recently government and computer industry officials have tried to reach a compromise that would allow firms to sell their best encryption products overseas.

6.   Companies in other countries are currently capable of trading stronger encryption products.

7.   Encryption products allow computer users to code e-mail and other documents so that they cannot be read by anyone but their intended audience.

8.   Holleyman Wednesday said the health of the software industry depends on strong intellectual property protection and the relaxation of regulations on the export of encryption products.

9.   In addition, the U.S. House House of Representatives is moving toward consideration of legislation that would have completely eliminated export controls on encryption products.

10.   Jim Bidzos, chief executive officer of RSA Data Security Inc., one of the leading makers of encryption products, offered backhanded praise for Freeh.