PRESIDENT'S ROLLOUT OF THE 60-DAY CYBERSPACE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 059432

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT POLICY TINT SECURITY PREL PUBLIC RELATIONS
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S ROLLOUT OF THE 60-DAY CYBERSPACE
POLICY REVIEW


1. (U) Posts are encouraged to use the press guidance
and other information contained in Paragraph 3 below on
the President's 60-day Cyberspace Policy Review to brief
host governments and other. The U.S. Government
anticipates working with foreign governments in
bilateral and multilateral settings to advance our
common interests in cybersecurity. Please report any
interest on cybersecurity engagement and/or reaction to
the rollout of the 60-day Cyberspace Policy Review by
front channel cable, slugging your response for
INR/CYBER. INR/CYBER coordinates within the Department
through the Department's Cyber Policy Group (CPG).


2. (U) Background. The President has identified
cybersecurity as one of the top priorities of his
administration and directed an early 60-day,
comprehensive review to assess U.S. policies and
structures for cybersecurity. The review addressed all
missions and activities associated with the information
and communications infrastructure and the strategy will
put a strong emphasis on collaboration with
international partners across a range of issues.

(U) The President hosted an event on Friday, May 29th at
the White House announcing the conclusion of the 60-Day
Cyber Policy Review and endorsing the Review team's
report. In addition to several Cabinet secretaries,
representatives from the private sector, the Ambassadors
from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; and
representatives of the EU and the OAS were in
attendance.

(U) The report includes a near-term action plan which
recommends the appointment of a "cyber security policy
official" based in the White House and responsible for
coordinating the nation's cybersecurity policies and
activities. A non-operational directorate, dual-hatted
to the National Security and National Economic Councils,
will be established under this official. Interagency
coordination will occur primarily through the
Information and Communications Infrastructure
Interagency Policy Committee (ICI-IPC) and five sub-
IPCs, including an International Sub-IPC. The Sub-IPCs
will begin meeting immediately.


3. (U) Press Guidance. There will be a public web page
for cybersecurity at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cyberreview
which will include links to the 60-day report,
submissions to the 60-day review by outside groups,
streaming video from the President's speech, and videos
from the Secretary of DHS among others discussing
cybersecurity issues.

(U)The White House issued the following Q&As drafted by
the National Security Council and approved for the
Press:

- What is meant when you use the term "Cybersecurity"?
-- ANSWER: As used in the Report the term
"Cybersecurity" encompasses far more than simply taking
preventative actions like patching computer systems.
Cybersecurity broadly includes strategy, policy, and
standards regarding the security of and operations in
cyberspace, and encompasses the full range of threat
reduction, vulnerability reduction, deterrence,
international engagement, incident response, resiliency,
and recovery policies and activities, including computer
network operations, information assurance, law
enforcement, diplomacy, military and intelligence
missions as they relate to the security and stability of
the global information and communications
infrastructure.

- What are the next steps/priorities going forward?
-- ANSWER: The Report outlines an ambitious short- and
mid-term action plan of vital tasks that must be
addressed to help secure our information and
communications infrastructure. This work will require
both the coordinated effort of many federal departments
and agencies and unprecedented partnership with the
private sector, academia, state and local authorities,
our international counterparts, and the public. Some of
the key short-term tasks are: preparing an updated
national strategy to secure the information and
communication infrastructure; initiating a dialogue to

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enhance public-private partnership, and initiating a
national public awareness and education campaign to
promote cybersecurity. We have much to do and it is a
long road ahead, but we are on the right path and moving
forward in an organized and comprehensive way.

- How are the actions outlined in the report different
than the efforts in the last administration?
-- ANSWER: We are addressing the broad span of
cybersecurity in a truly comprehensive way and
designating it as a national priority so that we can
achieve sustained long term success. No longer are we
treating cybersecurity as a destination in itself, but
instead understand that it is a compass that will guide
our country to future economic growth and prosperity by
providing a stable and secure foundation for commerce
and communications. Though we are building on the
progress made during the last administration, the scope
and inclusiveness of our approach is far broader. Among
other things, the President has designated a White House
Cybersecurity Policy Official, who will be the center of
gravity for cybersecurity issues. We are also committed
to addressing other issues where progress is needed,
including building a collaborative and workable public-
private partnership, creating an effective cyber
incident response plan, ensuring that foundational
issues of infrastructure architecture incorporate
security at the design stage, and substantially
strengthening our strategic engagement with our foreign
partners.

- What does this report mean for our international
partners?
-- ANSWER: Cyberspace crosses international boundaries,
and if we are to succeed in securing it we cannot act in
isolation. The global challenge of securing cyberspace
requires an increased effort to work with all countries-
including those in the developing world who face these
issues as they build their digital economies and
infrastructures-plus international bodies, military
allies, and intelligence partners. This effort will
seek-in continued collaboration with the private sector-
to improve the security of interoperable networks
through the development of global standards, expand the
legal system's capacity to combat cyber crime, continue
to develop and promote best practices, and maintain
stable and effective Internet governance. The United
States needs to develop a strategy designed to shape the
international environment and bring like-minded nations
together on a host of issues, including acceptable
international norms that are critical to establishing a
secure and thriving digital infrastructure.
Accordingly, one of the priority short term actions
identified in the Report is developing "U.S. Government
positions for an international cybersecurity policy
framework and strengthen our international partnerships
to create initiatives that address the full range of
activities, policies, and opportunities associated with
cybersecurity."

- Australia, the U.K., Canada, France, New Zealand, and
China all are working on or have announced cybersecurity
strategies. Has the United States lost the chance to
lead in this important area?
-- ANSWER: The fact that many countries around the
world are recognizing the importance of cybersecurity is
a positive step since this issue transcends national
boundaries and requires unprecedented international
cooperation. We have worked with many countries both in
raising their awareness of this issue and exchanging
information about how best to address it at a national
and international level. The heightened importance that
the President is giving to cybersecurity, including
detailing an aggressive action plan that encompasses
renewed international engagement, helps us and our
closest allies continue to lead in this vital area.

- What is the scope of responsibility of the
Cybersecurity Policy Official?
-- ANSWER: The Cybersecurity Policy Official - in
consultation with the Federal government's Chief
Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer and
other offices including the office of Management and
Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and
the National Economic Council - will harmonize
cybersecurity-related policy and technology efforts
across the Federal government, ensure that the
President's budget reflects federal priorities for
cybersecurity, and develop a legislative agenda for
cybersecurity.

- What are the roles and responsibilities of the

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Cybersecurity Policy Official?
-- ANSWER: The Cybersecurity Policy Official will
coordinate interagency development of policies and
strategies for the security of and operations in
cyberspace that will help the United States achieve a
more secure, reliable, resilient, and trustworthy
digital infrastructure for the future. The
Cybersecurity Policy Official will focus on harnessing
the full benefits of innovation to address cybersecurity
concerns and work on policies that address national
security requirements, protection of intellectual
property, and assuring the availability and continuity
of infrastructure.

- If the United States suffers a major cyber attack
tomorrow, who is in charge and how will we respond?
-- ANSWER: Ultimately, the White House is responsible
for, and in charge of, high-level coordination during
any major incident - including a major cyber incident.
Many departments and agencies have important operational
roles with respect to incident response, including the
Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense
and the Intelligence Community, and each would continue
to perform its operational roles in line with overall
White House strategic direction.

- There are a lot of reports about other countries (e.g.
Russia and China) attacking U.S. networks. Isn't the
U.S. engaging in the same activity? What are we doing
about these intrusions?
-- ANSWER: The cybersecurity threat is real and growing.
Both foreign governments and criminals seek to exploit
security holes in our government and private-sector
networks to steal money and information and potentially
to disrupt the networks themselves. Individual
departments and agencies play various roles in securing
government networks and investigating and prosecuting
cyber crime. The cyberspace policy review surveyed U.S.
government cybersecurity activities and developed action
plans to build additional capabilities and to make
government cybersecurity efforts more effective.

Minimize Considered.
CLINTON