National Cyber Strategy for the United States of America
This strategy explains how my Administration will:
- Defend the homeland by protecting networks, systems, functions, and data;
- Promote American prosperity by nurturing a secure, thriving digital economy and fostering strong domestic innovation;
- Preserve peace and security by strengthening the ability of the United States — in concert with allies and partners — to deter and, if necessary, punish those who use cyber tools for malicious purposes; and
- Expand American influence abroad to extend the key tenets of an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure
Introduction
America’s prosperity and security depend on how we respond to the opportunities and challenges in cyberspace.
Critical infrastructure, national defense, and the daily lives of Americans rely on computer-driven and interconnected information technologies. As all facets of American life have become more dependent on a secure cyberspace, new vulnerabilities have been revealed and new threats continue to emerge.
Building on the National Security Strategy and the Administration’s progress over its first 18 months, the National Cyber Strategy outlines how the United States will ensure the American people continue to reap the benefits of a secure cyberspace that reflects our principles, protects our security, and promotes our prosperity.
Priority Action
ENCOURAGE UNIVERSAL ADHERENCE TO CYBER
NORMS: International law and voluntary non-binding norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace provide stabilizing, security-enhancing standards that define acceptable behavior to all states and promote greater predictability and stability in cyberspace.
The United States will encourage other nations to publicly affirm these principles and views through enhanced outreach and engagement in multilateral fora. Increased public affirmation by the United States and other governments will lead to accepted expectations of state behavior and thus contribute to greater predictability and stability in cyberspace.
PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN IDEAS:
For more than a decade, malicious actors have conducted cyber intrusions into United States commercial networks, targeting confidential business information held by American firms. Malicious cyber actors from other nations have stolen troves of trade secrets, technical data, and sensitive proprietary internal communications.
The United States Government will work against the illicit appropriation of public and private sector technology and technical knowledge by foreign competitors, while maintaining an investor-friendly climate.