According to the document at whitehouse.gov, the strategy opens with a quote by President Barack Obama: ''This world-cyberspace-is a world that we depend on every single day... [it] has made us more interconnected than at any time in human history.''
The document goes on to say that ''digital infrastructure is increasingly the backbone of prosperous economies, vigorous research communities, strong militaries, transparent governments, and free societies. As never before, information technology is fostering transnational dialogue and facilitating the global flow of goods and services. The reach of networked technology is pervasive and global. For all nations, the underlying digital infrastructure is or will soon become a national asset.''
The strategy is historic, as it marks the first time an administration has tried to put forth in one document the United States government's vision for cyberspace.
Also, interestingly, the strategy follows in the wake of the proliferation of sites such as WikiLeaks, which many deem harmful, as well as the United States' decision to alter its position on cyber security last summer; the US expressed its willingness ''to work with other nations to reduce threats to computer networks; previously, the United States resisted proposals limiting possible military use of cyberspace,'' according to the washingtonpost.com article.
The strategy will no doubt be a dynamic one, and will likely evolve over the course of years, as was implied by Howard Schmidt, the White House cyber security coordinator, who was quoted as saying: ''This is just the beginning of a conversation within governments, between governments, the private sector and beyond.''
Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, was quoted as saying: ''some principles outlined in the strategy will sometimes come into conflict - one measure of who we are as a nation will be how those conflicts are resolved.''
