The U.S. government continues to extend its reach into cyberspace. Earlier this month, a report titled Cybersecurity, Innovation and the Internet Economy was released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, in which the Internet Policy Task Force issues recommendations for minimizing vulnerabilities and combatting cybersecurity threats. Since the adoption of such policies can affect all businesses and consumers who rely on the Internet, it’s worth taking a look (even though it’s 77 pages long).
Some of the recommendations are sure to be controversial. For instance, the report recommends that “voluntary” cybersecurity codes of conduct be created, which could be enforced by the FTC and State Attorneys General. How the government can enforce something that’s voluntary isn’t entirely clear. Another recommendation is “increased use of cyberinsurance.” Does this mean we will eventually be looking at yet another government-mandated insurance expense?
You can download the document in PDF format here:
http://www.nist.gov/itl/upload/Cybersecurity_GreenPaper_FinalVersion.pdf