[Infowarrior] - CFR: Time for U.S. to assert itself on the Internet

[Richard Forno]

CFR Report @   http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Cybersecurity_CSR56.pdf
 

Time for U.S. to assert itself on the Internet, report says

Council contends the Internet is too important to leave governance to someone else

	• By William Jackson
	• Oct 04, 2010
	• http://gcn.com/articles/2010/10/04/cybereye-box-us-should-assert-itself-on-internet.aspx

The international community has failed to develop an effective model for governing the Internet, and the United States must assert its interests in overseeing the infrastructure that plays a vital part in its national security and economic well-being, according to a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations.

The report, by Robert Knake, notes that the annual cost of cyber crime is estimated at $1 trillion and that cyberattacks are becoming a part of warfare and diplomacy.

“While no fewer than six U.N. bodies and multiple regional and national forums have sought to build a consensus on the future of Internet governance, there has been little progress thus far,” the report states. “The United States has largely abstained from these discussions, instead focusing on developing its own offensive and defensive cybersecurity capabilities while entrusting the ongoing stability of the system to the expertise of the private sector.”

Knake said the United States can no longer afford to cede the initiative on Internet governance to nations that do not share its interests, and the country should pursue its own agenda for dealing with cyber warfare, cyber crime and state-sponsored espionage through legislation and technology.