International Strategy for Cyberspace (Paperback) | Released: 07 Dec 2012

Cyberspace, and the technologies that enable it, allow people of every nationality, race, faith, and point of view to communicate, cooperate, and prosper like never before. Today, an American company can do business anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, supporting countless jobs and opportunities for the American people. A mother in rural Africa can sell crafts to a family in Latin America, advancing broader economic development. A laboratory in Europe can conduct field-changing research on hardware made in Asia and software written in North America, and students in Australia and the Middle East can learn together through videoconference. And more than ever, citizens across the globe are being empowered with information technologies to help make their governments more open and responsive. Today, as nations and people harness the networks that are all around us, we have a choice. We can either work together to realize their potential for greater prosperity and security, or we can succumb to narrow interests and undue fears that limit progress. Cybersecurity is not an end unto itself; it is instead an obligation that our governments and societies must take on willingly, to ensure that innovation continue to flourish, drive markets, and improve lives. While offline challenges of crime and aggression have made their way to the digital world, we will confront them consistent with the principles we hold dear: free speech and association, privacy, and the free flow of information. The digital world is no longer a lawless frontier, nor the province of a small elite. It is a place where the norms of responsible, just and peaceful conduct among states and peoples have begun to take hold. It is one of the finest examples of community self-organizing, as civil society, academia, the private sector, and governments work together democratically to ensure its effective management. Most important of all, this space continues to grow, develop, and promote prosperity, security, and openness as it has since its invention. This is what sets the Internet apart in the international environment, and why it is so important to protect. In this spirit, the following is the United States' International Strategy for Cyberspace. This is not the first time the Administration has addressed the policy challenges surrounding these technologies, but it is the first time our Nation has laid out an approach that unities our engagement with international partners on the full range of cyber issues. This strategy outlines not only a vision for the future of cyberspace, but an agenda for realizing it. It provides the context for our partners at home and abroad to understand our priorities, and how we can come together to preserve the character of cyberspace and reduce the threats we face.