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Road Map: Building a More Resilient Internet

Author
Diane Rinaldo, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Kevin Stine, Chief of the Applied Cybersecurity Division in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Information Technology Laboratory

Botnets and automated, distributed attacks threaten our nation’s Internet infrastructure. Solving this and other cybersecurity challenges is a top priority for the Trump Administration.

To address these threats, the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security have developed a road map that charts a path forward, setting out steps to stop the cyber threat to our internet infrastructure. It outlines a plan for coordination among government, civil society, technologists, academics, and industry sectors to develop a comprehensive strategy for fighting these threats.

The road map builds on the Botnet Report published by the departments in May as required by the Presidential Executive Order on Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure. The government and private sector spent a year developing the report in an open and transparent process. The report maps out an ecosystem-wide view of the botnet threat, and lays out actions that could dramatically reduce the threat of botnets and similar attacks.

The road map is organized into five lines of effort -- Internet of Things, Enterprise, Internet Infrastructure, Technology Development and Transition, Awareness and Education – that include tasks aligned with the actions prescribed in the Botnet Report. While the road map focuses on addressing botnet threats, this effort will make the Internet ecosystem more secure and have an impact far beyond the boundaries of the report.

This is just a starting point and the road map will evolve to address the rapid changes in digital technologies and the threat environment. The departments will track progress through regular stakeholder meetings as well as a workshop. In addition, the departments will provide a status update to the President that reviews progress, tracks the impact of the road map, reassesses the botnet threat, and sets further priorities.

The departments welcome comments from members of the private sector across the digital ecosystem who wish to participate in this process. Please submit comments to Counter_Botnet@list.commerce.gov.

A Road Map Toward Resilience Against Botnets