|
|
| Line 24: |
Line 24: |
| * Reduce national vulnerability to cyber attacks; and | | * Reduce national vulnerability to cyber attacks; and |
| * Minimize damage and recovery time from cyber attacks that do occur. | | * Minimize damage and recovery time from cyber attacks that do occur. |
| ===Threat and Vulnerability===
| |
| Our economy and national security are fully
| |
| dependent upon information technology and
| |
| the information infrastructure. At the core of
| |
| the information infrastructure upon which we
| |
| depend is the Internet, a system originally
| |
| designed to share unclassified research among
| |
| scientists who were assumed to be uninterested
| |
| in abusing the network. It is that same Internet
| |
| that today connects millions of other computer
| |
| networks making most of the nation’s essential
| |
| services and infrastructures work. These
| |
| computer networks also control physical objects
| |
| such as electrical transformers, trains, pipeline
| |
| pumps, chemical vats, radars, and stock
| |
| markets, all of which exist beyond cyberspace.
| |
|
| |
|
| A spectrum of malicious actors can and do
| | The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace |
| conduct attacks against our critical information
| | articulates five national priorities including: |
| infrastructures. Of primary concern is the threat
| |
| of organized cyber attacks capable of causing
| |
| debilitating disruption to our Nation’s critical
| |
| infrastructures, economy, or national security.
| |
| The required technical sophistication to carry
| |
| out such an attack is high—and partially
| |
| explains the lack of a debilitating attack to date.
| |
| We should not, however, be too sanguine. There
| |
| have been instances where organized attackers
| |
| have exploited vulnerabilities that may be
| |
| indicative of more destructive capabilities.
| |
|
| |
|
| Uncertainties exist as to the intent and full
| | #A National Cyberspace Security Response System; |
| technical capabilities of several observed
| | #A National Cyberspace Security Threat and Vulnerability Reduction Program; |
| attacks. Enhanced cyber threat analysis is
| | #A National Cyberspace Security Awareness and Training Program; |
| needed to address long-term trends related to
| | #Securing Governments’ Cyberspace; and |
| threats and vulnerabilities.What is known is
| | #National Security and International Cyberspace Security Cooperation. |
| that the attack tools and methodologies are
| |
| becoming widely available, and the technical
| |
| capability and sophistication of users bent on
| |
| causing havoc or disruption is improving.
| |
| In peacetime America’s enemies may conduct
| |
| espionage on our Government, university
| |
| research centers, and private companies. They
| |
| may also seek to prepare for cyber strikes during
| |
| a confrontation by mapping U.S. information
| |
| systems, identifying key targets, and lacing our
| |
| infrastructure with back doors and other means
| |
| of access. In wartime or crisis, adversaries may
| |
| seek to intimidate the Nation’s political leaders
| |
| by attacking critical infrastructures and key
| |
| economic functions or eroding public confidence
| |
| in information systems.
| |
|
| |
|
| Cyber attacks on United States information
| | The first priority focuses on improving our |
| networks can have serious consequences such as
| | response to cyber incidents and reducing the |
| disrupting critical operations, causing loss of
| | potential damage from such events. The second, |
| revenue and intellectual property, or loss of life.
| | third, and fourth priorities aim to reduce threats |
| Countering such attacks requires the development
| | from, and our vulnerabilities to, cyber attacks. |
| of robust capabilities where they do not
| | The fifth priority is to prevent cyber attacks |
| exist today if we are to reduce vulnerabilities
| | that could impact national security assets and to |
| and deter those with the capabilities and intent
| | improve the international management of and |
| to harm our critical infrastructures. | | response to such attacks. |
|
| |
|
| ===The Government Role in Securing Cyberspace=== | | ===Priority I: A National Cyberspace Security Response System=== |
| In general, the private sector is best equipped
| | Rapid identification, information exchange, and |
| and structured to respond to an evolving cyber
| | remediation can often mitigate the damage |
| threat. There are specific instances, however,
| | caused by malicious cyberspace activity. For |
| where federal government response is most
| | those activities to be effective at a national level, |
| appropriate and justified. Looking inward,
| | the United States needs a partnership between |
| providing continuity of government requires
| | government and industry to perform analyses, |
| ensuring the safety of its own cyber infrastructure
| | issue warnings, and coordinate response efforts. |
| and those assets required for | | Privacy and civil liberties must be protected in |
| supporting its essential missions and services.
| | the process. Because no cybersecurity plan can |
| Externally, a government role in cybersecurity is
| | be impervious to concerted and intelligent |
| warranted in cases where high transaction costs
| | attack, information systems must be able to |
| or legal barriers lead to significant coordination
| | operate while under attack and have the |
| problems; cases in which governments operate
| | resilience to restore full operations quickly. |
| in the absence of private sector forces;
| |
| resolution of incentive problems that lead to
| |
| under provisioning of critical shared resources;
| |
| and raising awareness.
| |
|
| |
|
| Public-private engagement is a key component
| |
| of our Strategy to secure cyberspace. This is
| |
| true for several reasons. Public-private partnerships
| |
| can usefully confront coordination
| |
| problems. They can significantly enhance
| |
| information exchange and cooperation.
| |
| Public-private engagement will take a variety
| |
| of forms and will address awareness, training,
| |
| technological improvements, vulnerability
| |
| remediation, and recovery operations.
| |
|
| |
| A federal role in these and other cases is only
| |
| justified when the benefits of intervention
| |
| outweigh the associated costs. This standard is
| |
| especially important in cases where there are
| |
| viable private sector solutions for addressing any
| |
| potential threat or vulnerability. For each case,consideration should be given to the broadbased
| |
| costs and impacts of a given government
| |
| action, versus other alternative actions, versus
| |
| non-action, taking into account any existing or
| |
| future private solutions.
| |
|
| |
| Federal actions to secure cyberspace are
| |
| warranted for purposes including: forensics and
| |
| attack attribution, protection of networks and
| |
| systems critical to national security, indications
| |
| and warnings, and protection against organized
| |
| attacks capable of inflicting debilitating damage
| |
| to the economy. Federal activities should also
| |
| support research and technology development
| |
| that will enable the private sector to better
| |
| secure privately-owned portions of the Nation’s
| |
| critical infrastructure.
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Additional Notes and Highlights== | | ==Additional Notes and Highlights== |
Full Title of Reference
The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
Full Citation
Executive Office of the President of the U.S., The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace (2003). Online Paper. Web
BibTeX
Google Books
Amazon
Categorization
Key Words
Synopsis
Strategic Objectives
Consistent with the National Strategy for Homeland Security, the strategic objectives of this National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace are to:
- Prevent cyber attacks against America’s critical infrastructures;
- Reduce national vulnerability to cyber attacks; and
- Minimize damage and recovery time from cyber attacks that do occur.
The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
articulates five national priorities including:
- A National Cyberspace Security Response System;
- A National Cyberspace Security Threat and Vulnerability Reduction Program;
- A National Cyberspace Security Awareness and Training Program;
- Securing Governments’ Cyberspace; and
- National Security and International Cyberspace Security Cooperation.
The first priority focuses on improving our
response to cyber incidents and reducing the
potential damage from such events. The second,
third, and fourth priorities aim to reduce threats
from, and our vulnerabilities to, cyber attacks.
The fifth priority is to prevent cyber attacks
that could impact national security assets and to
improve the international management of and
response to such attacks.
Priority I: A National Cyberspace Security Response System
Rapid identification, information exchange, and
remediation can often mitigate the damage
caused by malicious cyberspace activity. For
those activities to be effective at a national level,
the United States needs a partnership between
government and industry to perform analyses,
issue warnings, and coordinate response efforts.
Privacy and civil liberties must be protected in
the process. Because no cybersecurity plan can
be impervious to concerted and intelligent
attack, information systems must be able to
operate while under attack and have the
resilience to restore full operations quickly.
Additional Notes and Highlights