Write a 5-page paper analyzing 2023’s National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan (NCSIP), which supports the NCS 2023, the Biden Administration’s approach to cybersecurity. Keep in mind that NIST recommends an approach to and best practices for cybersecurity. It is voluntary not a mandatory scheme. However, certain industries require the NIST approach. In addition, Congress has passed laws that mandate the NIST approach, especially for critical industries. A general outline is provided to provide a broad structure for the paper. You may use additional sections and add them to the paper. This is a lot of material, and the paper is brief. The idea is not to be overly comprehensive, but instead to convey that you understand and can clearly state what the NCS 2023 does, how it is expected to work, and to have you demonstrate your ability to analyze a policy and explain how it can be applied from a governance perspective.
In your paper, be sure to address each of the following prompts:
1. Explain your perspective on the NCSIP’s shift to partnering with and relying on the private sector. List 5 key elements of the plan and analyze them. Discuss whether you think this could be more or less successful than the federal government’s previous strategies, based on the elements in the plan and the articles written about it, that are in your resources. You will base your analysis on these, other resources you find and cite, and your experience if you are working in this field.
On the other hand, this approach faces a number of challenges. There's a natural tension between a company's need to maximize shareholder value and the government's need to provide for the common defense. Companies may be reluctant to share sensitive information about vulnerabilities or incidents due to concerns about reputational damage or liability. Additionally, the lack of a universal "gold standard" for cybersecurity can cause friction, and a purely voluntary approach may not be sufficient to address systemic risks. The NCSIP attempts to mitigate these issues by proposing a mix of voluntary measures, like the "US Cyber Trust Mark" labeling program, and more forceful interventions, like shifting liability for insecure software.
5 Key Elements of the NCSIP
Establishing Cybersecurity Requirements for Critical Infrastructure: The NCSIP mandates that federal agencies with authority over critical infrastructure sectors (like healthcare, energy, and finance) set minimum cybersecurity requirements. This moves beyond the voluntary framework of the past and creates a baseline for security across these essential sectors.
Shifting Liability for Insecure Software and Services: This is one of the most significant and controversial elements. The plan aims to hold software companies responsible for security defects in their products, creating a market incentive for them to develop "secure-by-design" technologies. It also promotes the use of a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), which provides a complete inventory of a product's components and potential vulnerabilities, allowing users to better manage their risk.
Enhancing Public-Private Operational Collaboration: The NCSIP seeks to improve the speed and scale of intelligence sharing between the government and the private sector. It aims to remove barriers to sharing cyber threat intelligence and data with critical infrastructure owners and operators, thereby enabling a more rapid and coordinated response to threats.
Shaping Market Forces to Drive Security and Resilience: The plan uses federal grants and other incentives to encourage businesses to adopt better security practices. It also aims to "use federal buying power to drive secure outcomes." By prioritizing the purchase of secure and resilient products and services, the government can create a market signal that rewards companies that prioritize cybersecurity.
Sample Solution
The Biden Administration's 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) and its corresponding Implementation Plan (NCSIP) represent a significant pivot in the U.S. government's approach to cybersecurity. This policy shifts the responsibility for cybersecurity from a solely government-centric model to a "shared responsibility" framework, placing a greater burden on the private sector, particularly on the most capable and well-resourced entities. This new strategy, however, acknowledges that the government cannot successfully secure the nation's digital infrastructure without close collaboration with the private sector. It aims to achieve this by using a blend of incentives and mandatory requirements to drive a more secure digital ecosystem.
NCSIP's Shift to Partnering with the Private Sector
The NCSIP's reliance on private-sector partnerships is a recognition of a simple truth: the vast majority of the nation's critical infrastructure is owned and operated by private companies. While previous strategies have sought cooperation, this plan goes further by seeking to rebalance the burden of cybersecurity onto the private sector. This shift is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it leverages the technical expertise and resources of the companies that are most familiar with the systems and data they manage. It also incentivizes the private sector to invest in long-term cybersecurity resilience by creating a market for secure-by-design products and services.