7 - Participating in a national cyberspace security response system

Abstract

This chapter discusses the goals of priority I of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace of the United States, which calls for participation in a national cyberspace security response system and establishes the steps that an organization should take. The strategy provides a framework for organizing and prioritizing cyber security efforts by setting a direction for Federal government departments and agencies having roles in cyber security. The status of the development and implementation of computer security and computer-incident response plans, as well as the level of training achieved, as reported by the 100 name-brand organizations, shows that many weaknesses remain. Elimination of vulnerabilities in cyberspace requires more vigorous testing before technology producers release new products or upgrades to existing products. The U.S. government urges that organizations participate in the development of national public–private continuity and contingency planning efforts, as well as mobilization exercises to test plans.