An Exploration of Cyber Security as a Public Good (Research Paper Sample)

An exploration of cyber security as a public good
Name
Institution
Table of contents
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Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc390309182 \h
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The manner in which the government should justify the requirement of setting up or improving cyber security by the private industry  PAGEREF _Toc390309183 \h
4
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Impacts on national security due to government regulation required to be implemented by private industry  PAGEREF _Toc390309184 \h
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Conclusion  PAGEREF _Toc390309185 \h
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References  PAGEREF _Toc390309186 \h
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Introduction
One of the most critical matters that the current government is facing relates to cyber security since the threats are existent, and this means that the need to avert these threats is pressing. Despite some of the excellent interventions that are inclusive of legislative efforts put in place to avert the threats, there is a possibility of determining that the regulatory frameworks might not be efficient (Knapp, 2009). Previous legislative efforts are not efficient since they provide false comfort levels since they tie the private sector with outdated regulations. This is an indication the government should be able to develop dynamic policies that acknowledge and addresses the dynamic nature of the country’s cyberspace.
The United States faces considerable cyber security threats, which jeopardize the critical infrastructure in the country, the economic viability of the businesses in the country and the freedoms that the people exercise online. Considering the massive and growing scope of the threats, the argument that the status quo of cyber security is unstable holds. For this reason, it would be necessary to encourage the government’s involvement in the implementation of some of the mitigation efforts that would ensure public good (Knapp, 2009). This paper looks into the justification behind the government’s intention of informing the private industry to set up or improve their measures of ensuring cyber security. On the other hand, the paper provides an exploration of some of the effects that the government’s regulation on required security implementation by the private sector has on national security.
The manner in which the government should justify the requirement of setting up or improving cyber security by the private industry
The country erects high barriers when its diplomacy is seeking outside assistance in strengthening cyber security, which might create problems in the political facet of cyber security. However, the U.S. State department looks into some issues or agendas such as human rights, online surveillance, as well as online censorship, among other considerations that ensure cyber security. It has been difficult for the government to overcome a number of obstacles, which are inclusive of religion and freedom of speech, when dealing with cyber security issues. It would be vital to address these issues since they are matters that are likely to create huge differences between nations (Eckert, 2002). For this reason, the government should work hard to improve relations between nations, which involve the achievement of a certain level of mutual trust and transparency that would reduce cyber attacks that might be potentially disastrous.
The argument that supports government intervention, with the exception of the distribution and paternalist argument, is market failure. This might be referring to externalities or it might deal with some of the areas that advocate for the overall public good. Economists invoke the aspect of market failure when making a case for government intervention since the attackers might use computer programs to target some of the openings that might be existent in computer systems within companies. One way of doing this could be through sending seemingly harmless emails to employees within an organization, which would provide an opening in the organizations internal network when opened (Eckert, 2002). The attackers in this case might be foreign governments or foreign organizations getting assistance from the government planning the attacks. For some of the institutions that might be lacking the technical capacity to launch such attacks, the easiest way would be through hiring skilled hackers who have the capability of doing the job.
The justification of government intervention also considers the possibility of attacks on the critical infrastructure in the country, which can lead to the creation of a threat to national security prior to inflicting real damage. A foreign adversary that would gain access to the computer control system of an organization in the United States can implant a malicious computer code, which might lead to the hacker creating a malfunction. For instance, a foreign adversary might plant a malware to the electricity system of a major city in the United States, after which it might threaten to trigger it when the United States government takes action to protect the allies or interests abroad (National Science and Technology Council, 2006). There is a possibility that the threat might block the use of the country’s military capabilities.
One measure that the government could implement in ensuring cyber security would be to separate the critical infrastructure from the internet, for instance, the separation of the nation’s electricity network from the internet. This fundamental security measure is likely to protect the nation against would-be cyber threats significantly. It is also efficient since the protection would not extract high financial or privacy costs from the government. It would not be possible to take such steps without receiving additional regulation from the federal government, which is a strike against the position of industry officials that the provisions should be unregulated when it comes to the issue of cyber security. The different corporations available support this stance regardless of the fact that cyber security experts have been able to get access to the controls of the nation’s power grid from public internet sites. This is a provision that might increase the vulnerability of cyber attacks since the power grid resources are increasingly being linked to the internet, thereby making it difficult to avert any possible threats. Through the “smart grid” initiative advocated for by president Obama, it is possible to determine that the issue might introduce new problems relating to cyber security (Knapp, 2009).
Impacts on national security due to government regulation required to be implemented by private industry
With the increasing risks of cyber attacks from a number of avenues from the country’s adversaries, private organizations are required to ensure they implement the minimal compliance requirements that are necessary for averting any incident of cyber crimes. With the consideration that some of the organizations might not implement the security measures, there is a possibility of determining that such organizations are likely to increase their vulnerability to a serious cyber attack or a widespread hacking. For this reason, failure to comply might lead to an attack on some of the critical infrastructure available in the country, thereby compromising public safety. Conversely, minimal compliance might not entirely assure the complete protection of the country from attacks. The implementation of minimal requirements only assure cyber security at minimum levels, which means that a hacking expert might still be in a position of hacking into an organization’s computer system and planting malware that might negatively affect the security stance of the nation (Eckert, 2002). On the other hand, the possible impact of exceeding the required minimum is that an organization will have to incur a few more resources that might affect the sustainability of the organization. However, in relation to the promotion of national security, it would be vital for organizations to consider exceeding the minimum requirements since this provision is likely to make it difficult for hackers to plant malware into the internal computer system of an organization.
The private sector is increasingly becoming a vital actor in dealing with some of the cyber security issues because approximately 85% of the country’s infrastructure is either privately operated or owned. This makes the private industry a significant player in new security issues that associate to the Department of Homeland security. Being an essential part of national security, homeland security oper...