White House officials released an international cyberstrategy here May 16 that will help to build a “coalition of nations (with a) mutual interest in securing cyberspace,” Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said.
The event to launch the U.S. International Strategy for Cyberspace also included remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
“The strategy the president is releasing today provides a framework for how we can expand this cooperation and establishes how network security relates to other critical areas of partnership,” Mr. Lynn said.
Hosting the event were John O. Brennan, assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security, and Howard A. Schmidt, special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator.
Senior foreign diplomats and representatives from industry, civil society and academia also attended.
Secretary Clinton said the strategy’s seven key policy priorities are economic engagement, cybersecurity, law enforcement, military cooperation, multiple-stakeholder Internet governance, development and Internet freedom.
“We are seeing cyberspace transform before our very eyes,” she said. “Now we must shape this transformation.”
White House officials released a statement that called the strategy a “first-of-its-kind policy document [that] offers our comprehensive vision for the future of international cooperation in cyberspace.” The report also outlines the administration’s agenda, the statement said, “for partnering with other nations and peoples to ensure the prosperity, security and openness that we seek in our increasingly networked world.”
Mr. Lynn said no one nation can devise or enforce a sustainable solution.
“It is hard to overstate the importance of cyberspace to the Department of Defense or the need to engage our allies and partners to keep it secure,” he said. “Department of Defense networks are probed millions of times a day, and more than 100 foreign intelligence agencies have tried to penetrate our networks or those of our industrial partners.”
Cyber threats are growing more serious and more prevalent, Mr. Lynn added, and meeting them requires the cooperation of nations, the private sector and individuals.
“Our military continues to ensure that we can operate with secure and reliable networks,” he said, “and maintain the capability to defend vital national assets.”
The Defense Department’s forthcoming Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace, Mr. Lynn said, will detail the military’s role in keeping DOD networks secure.
“Just as our air defenses are linked with those of our allies to provide warning of attack, so too must we share information to prevent and, if necessary, respond to cyber intrusions,” he added.
Over the past year, DOD officials have worked with counterparts in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the NATO alliance to strengthen cyber partnerships, Mr. Lynn said.
“While our efforts are increasingly linked with many international partners,” he added, “far greater levels of cooperation with more nations are needed if we are to stay ahead of the cyber threat.”
The strategy that President Barack Obama released, Mr. Lynn said, “provides a framework for how we can expand this cooperation and establishes how network security relates to other crucial areas of partnership.”
Mr. Lynn said he is delighted to carry defense cooperation forward in the cyber realm.
“I look forward to working closely in this effort with the departments of State, Justice, Commerce and Homeland Security under the leadership of President Obama,” he said.
