"The architecture of the Nation's digital infrastructure, based largely
upon the Internet, is not secure or resilient." It's a horrifying wakeup
call that bluntly opens this report on one of the most serious national
security and economic threats the United States-and, indeed, the
world-faces in the 21st century. And it sets the stage for the national
dialogue on cybersecurity it hopes to launch. Prepared by the U.S.
National Security Council-which was founded by President Harry S. Truman
to advise the Oval Office on national security and foreign policy-this
official government account explores: - the vulnerabilities of the
digital infrastructure of the United States - what we can do to protect
it against cybercrime and cyberterrorism - how to protect civil
liberties and personal privacy in cyberspace - why a citizenry educated
about and aware of cybersecurity risks is vital - the shape of the
public-private partnership all these efforts will require Just as the
United States took the lead in creating the open, flexible structures of
the early Internet, it must now take the initiative in ensuring that our
digital networks are as secure as they can be, without stifling the
unprecedented freedom of opportunity and access the information
revolution has afforded us all. This report is the roadmap for making
that happen, and it is required reading for anyone who works or plays in
the 21st-century digital world: that is, all of us.
