Final cyber strategy released

National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace

The White House released the final version of its National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace today, focusing on five priority areas and recommendations—including the creation of a single national cyberspace security response system.

When the Bush administration released its draft strategy in September 2002, it was widely condemned for being too lenient and lacking in any real recommendations and actions.

In November 2002, Richard Clarke, chairman of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, outlined for the National Infrastructure Advisory Council the first steps for prioritizing the ideas in the draft.

And those priorities are what the Bush administration built the final strategy around:

* Create a national security response system, including expanding the government's Cyber Warning and Information Network to the private sector.

* Develop a national security threat and vulnerability reduction program, including directing the Homeland Security Department to work with the private sector and conduct assessments of infrastructure and systems.

* Establish a national security awareness and training program, encompassing everything from general awareness campaigns to formal education in primary and secondary schools.

* Secure the government through methods such as the administration's e-Authentication e-government initiative and conduct a comprehensive review of whether to expand Defense Department product evaluation requirements to the civilian agencies.

* Foster cooperation with the international community and identify international threats, including conducting a study to examine how to improve coordination among law enforcement and national security and defense agencies.

Many in industry approved of the final strategy's increased focus.

The Computing Technology Industry Association applauded the recommendations to increase information security training and certification, while the Information Technology Association of America praised the focus on cooperation and information sharing between government and the private sector.