Commerce Dept. launches major inquiry into cyber challenges to the Internet economy

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force has launched a sweeping inquiry into the nexus between “cybersecurity challenges in the commercial sector and innovation in the Internet economy,” which it expects will lead to its issuance of a major report that will contribute to the Obama administration’s policy-making in this arena.

“Preserving innovation, as well as private sector and consumer confidence in the security of the Internet economy, are important for promoting economic prosperity and social well-being overall,” says a “notice of inquiry,” co-published in the Federal Register on July 28 by the Commerce Department’s Office of the Secretary, National Institute of Standards and Technology, International Trade Administration and National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “In particular, the Department seeks to develop an up-to-date understanding of the current public policy and operational challenges affecting cybersecurity, as those challenges may shape the future direction of the Internet and its commercial use, both domestically and globally.”

The public is invited to submit comments as part of this ambitious inquiry by sending an e-mail to cybertaskforce@doc.gov by September 13.

In its 16-page notice on inquiry, the Commerce Department noted that online commerce in the U.S. in 2007 accounted for more than $3 trillion in revenue for U.S. companies. It also observed that while overall retail sales fell seven percent in 2009, “online retail sales” grew by two percent during the same period.

Nevertheless, even amidst such strong growth in sales, the Internet economy is bombarded daily with a wide range of domestic and international cyber-threats.

“Given this state of affairs, the Task Force believes that public policies affecting cybersecurity on the Internet, as well as private sector norms (both good and bad), require a fresh look,” says the notice.

The notice points out that the new inquiry will focus more on the consumer end of the Internet, rather than the plants and facilities which comprise the nation’s critical infrastructure.

“The primary purposes of the report will be to identify and evaluate cybersecurity challenges facing commercial actors and consumers outside the critical infrastructure and key resources sectors to analyze various approaches to meet those challenges,” says the document.

This latest inquiry is one in a series of inquiries undertaken by the task force. Others have examined information privacy, the global free flow of information on the Internet and online copyright protection issues.

Additional information about the Commerce Department’s latest inquiry is available from Jon Boyens, of the International Trade Administration, at 202-482-0573 or Jon.Boyens@trade.gov.