National Security to Network Security

Communications in cyberspace position unique security difficulties. Starting in 2009, the United States Military integrated a Cyber Command on the premise that cyberspace dominance might be as essential in a time of dispute as standard domains of air, sea, and land warfare. This firm's charter covers just "specified Department of Defense details networks," leaving the civilian Internet for others.

The next administration faces a number of difficulties to assure that electronic interactions transit freely in the cyber domain.

This paper is interested in how the United States ought to safeguard civilian Web use. We leave concerns of national security-- in the military sense-- for the Defense Department and those who add to its (largely classified) preparation and application.

However a look at tactical concerns shows the importance and difficulty of the challenge, even with civilian communications. The "domain" of sea power provides useful examples with network security.

Even on the high seas, the burden of securing ocean commerce has not constantly rested with the Navy alone. Until piracy was suppressed in the mid-19th century, it was common for merchant ships to equip themselves to combat off pirate attacks. In the last few years, lots of business ships have actually arranged for personal security firms with armed operatives to help safeguard them from pirate attacks in especially hazardous regions. Throughout the world wars, the US Merchant Marine, following the lead of British ships, installed marine guns-- and later deployed depth charges-- to eliminate off U-boat attacks.

Just like the seas, so with cyber: to the level that we can, we must guarantee that electronic interactions transit freely in the cyber domain. We ought to insist on the security of our own communications.

Our focus in this paper is on methods to safeguard American-based networks. However because a lot of the world's Web traffic transits through American networks, what we do here can add to worldwide Internet security. It can likewise be an example to foreign partners-- and a deterrent to foreign foes. We believe personal security firms, as well as the United States government, can add to protecting American cyber networks.

A major part of our recommended strategy is to raise the expense of attacks by determining assailants and in some cases countering at them. To accomplish this, personal firms ought to be offered the latitude to explore active countermeasures. As we explain, there are great policy needs to encourage such experimentation. The policy and legal objections to hack-back activities are less weighty than critics presume.

We likewise outline 2 extra components of a security technique. Initially, we provide a set of legal modifications that will enhance the incentives for private companies to construct protected and resilient products. This will make American the online world more robust versus attacks by criminals and foreign powers. Second, we propose a brand-new federal cyber security company to supervise and coordinate government security activities and defenses of independently run important facilities.