This report explores the details of the Obama Administration\u27s executive order on cybersecurity, breaking down the challenges, criticisms, and successes of the effort to date, before offering clear lessons from the US experience that can be applied to the Australian context.
Summary: On 12 February 2014 the United States National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) released the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, the flagship accomplishment of the Obama Administration’s 2013 cybersecurity Executive Order. Just weeks before the White House announced its executive order, the then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made an equally exciting declaration introducing the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). One year on, the contrast between the two efforts is stark.
The United States and Australia share a common interests in developing a robust partnership between the government and private sector to develop whole-of-system cybersecurity. To move beyond political optics, the ACSC must embrace existing best practices, commit to meaningful public-private partnerships, and set a pragmatic strategy moving forward. The Obama Administration’s efforts, while far from perfect, offer critical lessons that the Australian government can adopt and adapt to ensure that the ACSC is a successful endeavour and critical infrastructure cybersecurity is improved.
This Strategic Insight report explores the details of the executive order, breaking down the challenges, criticisms, and successes of the effort to date, before offering clear lessons from the US experience that can be applied to the Australian context
