Commerce Department Seeks Comments on Cybersecurity and Its Impact on Innovation

The Commerce Department has published a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on "Cybersecurity, Innovation, and Internet Policy." The department seeks comments from all stakeholders, including the commercial, academic and civil society sectors, on measures to improve cyber security while sustaining innovation.

The Internet has become vitally important to U.S. innovation, prosperity, education, civic activity and cultural life as well as aspects of America's national security. A top priority of the Commerce Department is to ensure that the Internet remains an open and trusted infrastructure, both for commercial entities and individuals.

To support this goal, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke created the department's Internet Policy Task Force in April. Its mission is to identify leading policy challenges and to recommend possible solutions. The Task Force draws upon expertise across many bureaus at the Commerce Department, including those responsible for cybersecurity standards and best practices, information and communications policy, international trade, intellectual property, business advocacy and export control.

This Notice of Inquiry is one in a series of inquiries from the Task Force. Other reviews examine information privacy, global free flow of information on the Internet, and online copyright protection issues. After analyzing comments on this notice, the department intends to issue a report that will contribute to the Administration's domestic and international policies and activities in advancing both cyber security and the Internet economy.

* "Cybersecurity, Innovation and the Internet Economy," Federal Register Vol. 75, No. 144 , p. 44216. (Wednesday, July 28, 2010). A copy of the text also is available on-line at http://www.nist.gov/itl/csd/upload/Cybersecurity_NOI_0722101.pdf.